Alteration
by LadyLady1994
Summary: Relationships take time, take work. They change as they grow, and the alter despite what others say. Will Hotch and Emily be able to handle the repeated alterations to their relationship? Or will it tear them apart? R&R H/P TEAMFIC
1. 26 August 2012 Early Morning

**A/N: This is a Hotch/Emily story. The only difference in this from canon is that Doyle was the one who died (Morgan shot him) rather than Emily 'dieing'. I hope you enjoy it, and please review, as my other stories did not receive that many and it really de-motivates me to write.  
>Oh, and Dates to Remember does partially apply to this as Chris is in it, but the parts that apply will be described in later chapters. <strong>

**Please Read and Review. Hope you like it. **

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><p><strong>Alteration<strong>

_26 August 2012 _

Shakespeare once wrote that 'love is not love which alters when alteration finds'. However this does not truly represent the honesty of simple love. Love evolves, it changes and it grows. Love is something that has to grow, or els it will never truly be felt. After all, it's not like you just wake up in the morning and suddenly think 'Hey, I'm in love!'. That was infatuation. As good as it feels, infatuation isn't love.

"Emily? Are you there?" a voice caused her to look up in surprise, to see JJ and Chris staring at her. Chris leaned against small dining table supplied to the BAU department in the kitchenette, holding pink mug in her hands filled with steaming coffee. The blonde stood against the counter, head cocked with a woozy, worried expression. Emily looked between the women who was engaged with a baby, and the woman who was married with three, and felt a sudden jealousy in her stomach.

Why couldn't she have a baby? A husband? Hell, she couldn't even find a decent date!

"You know, you've been doing this spacing out thing more and more lately. Is there something you want to tell us? About a guy perhaps?" JJ teased, and Chris chuckled, sipping her coffee. Emily snorted, and muttered 'I wish' which caused Chris to frown, looking at her. The problem with having two women who were mothers of babies as friends? They tended to have hearing of a dog, no matter where they were. Emily blanched knowing they were going to seriously grill her.

"It's nothing, okay? I'm fine, don't worry," Emily assured them. JJ eyed her suspiciously and Chris just held up a hand in submission, before sipping her tea. The three Agents, as well as Garcia, had been on their monthly 'night-off' (really, Chris had just wanted to wear her favourite red dress that she could once again fit into) and so they had gone out to a new Karaoke bar in town, only to be called back in at eleven-thirty for a sudden case.

They were still dressed up to the maximum, hair still done, make-up still on and still wearing the dresses they had been when they went out at nine. Chris's dark hair was pulled into a French twist, curls framing her face, eyes smoky and wearing a red trombe pencil dress, black strap sandles. JJ wore a nude v-neck bandage dress, black sling-black heels and her blond hair pinned and plaited into a fishtail braid. Her make-up was soft, and now she had a badge pinned to her neckline.

Emily wore a fitted black dress, with lace peep-toe pumps. her hair was curled and her lipstick was a vibrant red, her eyes darkly inked. Garcia had worn the most colour, in a floral vintage 1950's dress, and orange heels and a bright yellow flower bag. In typical Garcia fashion, it ha been classically outrageous, and yet it worked for her. It was safe to say they were all a little bit tipsy, and were currently on their third cups of coffee in order to sober up and waken up.

"Do you not think it's weird that Hotch was the one who called us in, but we were here before him?" Chris asked, yawning slightly. She had removed her shoes about ten minutes ago, at her desk, as had JJ and Emily. Garcia had instantly headed to her office to power up her many computers.

"He probably knew we'd need half an hour to sober up," Emily responded dryly, and Chris chuckled, then winced, putting her hand to her head. The alcohol had started to wear off, for all of them, and they were starting to seriously feel the after effects. Emily's head pounded, and she still couldn't feel her hands or feet... or legs. By the woolliness of JJ, she was starting to get there as well.

"Hello ladies, you look delightfully gorgeous this evening," a sly, and overly pleased Morgan caused them to look over at him, glaring darkly. He put his arm around Chris's shoulders, dressed casually in jeans, boots and a grey tee, a bag over his shoulder. She shrugged him off, barely able to hold herself up, yet alone hold the weight of his arm. "Aww, sugar mama, I'm hurt. Here I thought we were friends?"

His tone was anything but hurt, mocking and jovial as he took enjoyment in their wrecked state. JJ glared at him with shadowed eyes and Chris excused herself, feeling slightly nauseous. She went over to her desk, on the opposite side of the divider to Reid's desk, flopping into her seat and set her head down on it, in her arms. Morgan shook his head, laughing under his breath.

"Why don't you go check on Garcia, Morgan. I think she might have fell ashleep in her office," JJ stated, her voice a tiny bit slurred. She took a quick swig of coffee, closing her eyes and resting her head against the cabinet. Morgan grinned, looking at Emily, before he left the kitchenette, and out of the Bullpen in search of Garcia in her office. Emily exhaled heavily, and blew on her coffee, drinking it slowly.

"You know, at shome point you gonna have to talk to me," JJ told her, and Emily shook her head, smiling softly at her friends persistence. She may hate it when they tried to snoop into her life, and she may hate that she didn't have anyone in her romantic life, but she had JJ and she had her friends and that was almost just as good. Other than the sex... The whole no sex thing sucked ass.

"I think you need some more coffee, Jayje," she stated, and JJ pouted, then bobbed her head, saying 'you're probably right'. Emily smiled softly, and looked at her watch. Twelve-fifteen. Where was Hotch? She frowned, starting to feel worried about it. What if he'd been in an accident on the way to the office? He called them over half an hour ago, so why wasn't he there yet?

"I need everyone in the round room, now," the voice of the very man she had been thinking about ordered them all, and she looked up in relief to see him, only for him to completely ignore her as he marched up the stairs to the round room, dressed in a black suit, perfectly neat, holding files in his arms. She frowned, wonderign abotu his urgency and she picked up her coffee, following him.

She stumbled slightly, but kept her footing, gripping the banister tightly. She crossed the floor and went into the round room, licking her lips as she saw him splaying the files over the desks, movements hurried. He looked up when he felt her enter, swallowing at her appearance. Hotch may have an image of being cold-blooded and stony, but he was a man as well as any other. He could easily recognise a beautiful woman, and there was no mistaking that Emily was truly beautiful, especially in that dress.

Emily felt her cheeks start to flush, even more than they already were, at the heat in his gaze and she gave him a slow, sultry smile without realising it, responding instantly to it. Hotch sniffed and quickly looked away from her, keeping his professionalism as he turned to the screen, pressing a button on the remote. A picture of Lila Archer appeared on the screen, causing Emily to furrow her eyebrows in confusion.

"That's Lila Archer... from Emotional Cages," Emily stated, sitting down in her usual chair. Her head was starting to spin slightly, and she really needed to sit down. Hotch nodded, looking at her briefly. "Is she dead?" her voice was worried. She really didn't want her to be dead. Granted, if her picture was on that screen, there was a high possibility that she was, but someone that young and that talented... it was unfair if she was.

"No," Hotch stated, and Emily gave a relieved sigh, before letting her head hit the table top and covering it with her arms. Her head really was pounding... Hotch looked at her, concerned. "Are you okay, Emily?" he asked, his voice softening slightly. She groaned, and looked up from her arms.

"I'm fine... I just need to get some sleep..." she informed him, smiling shakily. He eyed her, not quite believing, before accepting her excuse. She dropped her head back down into her arms, deciding that it might be good to take a power nap while they waited. Hotch looked at her out the corner of his eye, before shaking his head and looking at his iPad. JJ stumbled into the room, dropping into the seat next Emily with a long moan.

"Will you be able to handle this case, JJ?" Hotch asked, and she looked at him, unfocussed, before nodding and holding up her hand. "What did you four do tonight?" he questioned, genuinely interested in what had bought them down so quickly, and JJ frowned, waving a hand.

"A little of this... a little of that... I think I sang," JJ mumbled, and Hotch rose an eyebrow. Morgan interrupted the conversation as he bought a sleepy, yet sober Garcia into the room. She laughed slightly at the state of Emily and JJ.

"Oh, my poor girls..." she cooed, and JJ dropped her face into her hands, causign Garcia to giggle gleefully. "Our little blond momma got up to some mischief tonight... she danced on a table and sang 'I touch myself' by the Divinyls. I have to admit... it was very interesting. I can see why Will loves her so much," Garcia stated, sitting down on JJ's right. Morgan settled into the seat no Emily's left, prodding her with his pen playfully.

The dark haired woman growled and slapped his hand away viciously, sitting up and glaring at Morgan. Rossi rolled his eyes at them as he sat at the table next to Garcia, holding a cup of Starbucks coffee and a bagel. "Reid's bringing Chris up after she has gotten changed. They'll be a minute," he informed Hotch, who nodded.

"We can catch them up on the plane. Okay, now some of you will remember Lila Archer, from a case back in 2005, correct?" Hotch spoke, and Morgan smirked.

"Pretty sure that Reid will remember her better than anyone else, Hotch," Morgan joked. Hotch gave him a reprimanding look, before clicking a button on his remote, causing several images of decapitated heads to appear of the screen. Garcia yelped and covered her eyes, cursing him outright.

"What was that? Actually, I really don't want to know. Please, just tell me when they are gone," Garcia stated, and Hotch skipped onto the next images of small letters. He told Garcia it was safe, and she looked back at the screen, a disturbed look on her face.

"A few months ago, Lila began to receive these letters, threatening her and her family. She upped her security, believing that the matter would be resolved once she did. Instead, the UnSub stole her dog, a pet chihuahua and sent her the head in a package three days later," Hotch told them. Garcia gasped in horror, muttering 'poor puppy'. "She got the police involved and they began an investigation, only for her mother to go missing. A week later she began to receive parts of her mother in packages, left in her top-security mansion in LA."

"Oh, how horrible," Garcia mumbled, while JJ just looked ready to vomit, covering her mouth with her hand. It was then that Reid finally came in the room, only to freeze when Lila's picture came onto the screen. His hair was rumpled, slightly longer than it had been but short still, and his shirt was un-tucked under his dark blue cardigan. His tie was knotted loosely, and one of his trouser legs rolled up slightly, revealing a dinosaur patterned sock and red converses. His glasses balanced on his nose.

"What... what's going on guys?" he asked, looking around as if it was some joke they were playing on him. He gripped the strap of his satchel tightly, swallowing nervously, face unshaven. Hotch chucked a brown file in Reid''s direction, and he paused, before picking it up and looking through it. "This is horrible..."

"On the plus side, maybe we'll find out what happened between you two," Morgan said tactlessly. Reid paled, and looked at him urgently.

"You can't say anything about that," he stated quickly, and Rossi rose an eyebrow, while Morgan grinned, asking 'Why?' curiously. Reid scowled, looking own at the file and licking his lips, slightly sheepishly. "I never told Chris about it."

"Will this jeopardise the case?" Hotch asked, gravelly, and Reid looked at him, before shaking his head rapidly. "Do you think Chris should stay here?" he questioned, and Reid furrowed his eyebrows, a pondering look on his face.

"No... I think it'll be fine. Besides, she'll just question me if I tell her she can't go," Reid sighed, and Hotch nodded curtly, before looking at JJ and Emily. Chris came in, looking surprisingly sober for someone who had been face down on her desk only twenty minutes before. She had changed out of her red dress, into a black pencil skirt, with a cream embroidered viscose top tucked into it and black sling-back pumps. She had let her hair out of it's twist so in now fell around her shoulders in waves, and she had removed her smoky make up.

"Okay, what did I miss?" she asked, going over to the table and picking up the file that Hotch had left on it. She quickly flicked through it, wincing and grimacing at the images. "Lila Charles. Only divorced for three months, and she gets hate like this. Always knew her husband was more popular than she was," Chris spoke quietly to herself, but Hotch caught it.

"She is recently divorced?" he asked, and Chris nodded, looking at him sharply.

"Yes. They split three months ago after a 'turbulant' marriage. Which we all know means that one of them spent several nights with someone who wasn't their spouse. Raymond Charles. He was her co-star on Emotional Cages before he went on to bigger and better things. Obviously, this applied to his marriage as well. It's funny, they dated for about three years, but got divorced after only seven months of marriage," Chris told them.

"How do you know this?" Morgan asked, his tone disbelieving as he looked at her. She stared back at him blankly, before responding 'It was in Us Weekly'. Morgan rose an eyebrow, and she narrowed her eyes at him. "Didn't peg you for the type to read _Us Weekly_."

"I'm a mother of three who spent far too much time on maternity leave. Of course I read Us Weekly," she snapped, and Hotch intervened as they began to get off the topic. Coughing, he got their attention back to him and he looked at them severely.

"Her brother was reported missing this evening. She called to check in on him, and when he didn't answer she sent one of her bodyguards to find him. When he wasn't there, she got in touch with me and requested our help to find him," Hotch informed them. There was murmurs from the team, as he looked at his watch. "I expect everyone on the jet and ready to leave in an hour. Make sure you have your go-bags ready."

They began to drift out the round room, one by one, and Reid avoided Chris's eyes guiltily when she gave him a questioning glance, wondering what was wrong with him. Emily however, stayed sitting at the table, taking a deep breath and squeezing her eyes shut.

"Would you like me to take you to your apartment, Prentiss?" Hotch asked, and she opened her eyes wearily. "It would give you a chance to shower and get changed," he told her. She debated it silently in her head. Sit feeling dirty because she went out partying, or go home, take a shower and put on clean clothes and feel more sober than she currently did. There really was no contest in her mind.

"Thanks... I'd like that," she responded, lowly and he bobbed his head once, gulping down a lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. For a moment he had thought she would say no. That would have been extremely embarrassing, but she looked so uncomfortable and miserable sitting there he had just had to offer. In the back of his mind, a treacherous voice muttered 'yeah right' and he quickly shut it up.

"Shall we go then?"

"God, please. I feel like a reject from a zombie thriller," she quipped, and he chuckled as she stood, stumbling a little and having to grab the table to steady herself, before walking from the round room, slowly. Not realising it, he walked behind her, arms slightly outstretched to catch her in case she fell.


	2. 26 August 2012 Morning

**A/N: This is a Hotch/Emily story. The only difference in this from canon is that Doyle was the one who died (Morgan shot him) rather than Emily 'dieing'.**

**Lets try to get at leats five review, please? :)**

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><p><strong>Alteration<strong>

_26 August 2012  
><em>_-01:07__am-_

Emily sighed, relieved as she stepped out the shower. The room was steamy, the mirrors clouded over with condensation. As always, a shiver ran through her as the temperature rapidly lowered around her after stepping out the deliciously warm water. Her hair dripped onto the linolium flooring, sticking to her creamy skin. Droplets trailing down her neck and into her cleavage, under her fluffy white bath sheet which she had wrapped aroud herself.

After all that dancing, drinking and general behaviour unacceptable for a grown woman, let alone an ambassadors daughter, it was good to clean of all the sweat and the spilled alcohol on her. Nothing was more sobering than a good shower... except maybe seven espressos. A wry smile fell onto her. Good old coffee...

Her ears suddenly picked up the sound shuffling from under her, and Emily reacted quickly, hand instantly reaching for her weapon only to stop as she remembered that Hotch was actually in her apartment. Emily loved her apartment, sure, but it wasn't exactly conductive for sneakign around. You could hear everything through the walls and floors.

Taking a long, calming breath, she left her bathroom and went into her bedroom, throwing her weapon onto the bed as she hurried to dress. She chose a simple fitted black shirt and black slacks to wear, not wantign to make a big fuss over it at one in the morning. She really didn't care about how she looked on the plane, as long as she was comfortable.

However, the shuffling from the downstairs persisted, and she paused, lookign at her outfit... It couldn't hurt to dress smartly though, could it? Chris and JJ always made an extra effort to look good, so if she did to it would just... complete the trio. Before she could talk herself out of it, she had gone over to her wardrobe and started to rake through her clothes.

She pulled out her embellished, cream caftan style top, which allwoed for easy, fluid arm movements, and matched it with her black skinny-leg trousers and her black leather jacket. dressign quickly, and pulling her hair into a messy bun, bangs framing her face, she applied a quick coat of red gloss and mascara.

Not to over the top, yet a definite effort on her part. The top had actually been a gift from Chris, and she had never worn it before, but it was surprisingly comfortable even with the small beading. Emily puleld her overnight bag out of the bottom of the wardrobe and quickly grabbed her favourite pyjamas (they were extremely soft and very comfortable) a pair of fluffy slippers and a few extra tops and a pair of slacks.

Shoving on her black court pumps quickly, she rushed from the room after collecting her toiletry bag and down the stairs. She slowed when she saw Hotch pacing, on the phone with an angry expression on his face. His lips were pursed and his entire form tense.

Licking her lips, slightly apprehensive, she went over to her kitchen to put food down for Sergio, the tabby cat prowling along the side, miaowing insistantly at her. "Hey push, who's a good kitty," she cooed softly, scratching under his chin. He purred in delight, before hopping from the side and headbutting his food container.

Shaking her head, she bent down and scooped some of the dry cat food, putting two into both of the food bowls and then refilling his water dish. He instantly went for the food, and she shook her head. "Fat little kitty," she mumbled affectionatly, before looking back at Hotch.

"Is everything okay?" she questioned, after he hung up, eyebrows furrowed and a deadly serious expression on his face. He responded 'I'm fine' curtly, almost snapping at her, and she rose her eyebrows before glaring at him. "It was just a question, Hotch."

He sighed and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. Hotch looked at her, feeling guilty about snapping at her when it wasn't her fault he was tired and in a bad mood. "No, I'm sorry... I'm just tired, don't worry about it."

"Oh. Do you want me to drive?" she asked, worried for him, to the point she was actually worried about the fact that she was so concerned, and he gave her a 'are-you-serious' expression, before shaking his head with a wry sort of smile.

"I think I'll drive. You may not feel drunk, but you still have alcohol in your system, and it wouldn't look good if you got pulled over for drink-driving," he said, soem of his humour returning. Emily blinked, before flushing and bobbing her head, chuckling slightly.

"Yeah. That would look really bad..."

_- 01:54pm-_

Emily slumped in her seat on the plane, coffee in hand. JJ and Chris sat opposite her, Chris reading a file with a venti mochalatte in one hand, and JJ resting her head against the window savouring the coolness on her still slightly flushed skin. She had sobered greatly, but she was still a little bit heated, and sleepy.

The flight was five hours, so JJ was catching up on any sleep she had missed. Hotch had, thankfully, agreed to let them have a few hours sleep before startign the brief, and he himself had even fell into a slumber on a further end of the plane.

Emily couldn't help but stare at him slightly. Even in his sleep, he seemed to be tense. Frown delicate on his lips, eyes scrunched shut, moving rapidly under the lids. She wanted to ease his tension. It made her worry to see him in such turmoil. He had already been through so much that it was unfair he was still suffering.

"Why won't Spencer talk to me?" Chris whispered, anxiously. He hadn't spoken to her since the breifing... he wouldn't even look at her. It made her scared. Emily looked at her sympathetically, not knowing what to say. "I didn't do anything wrong, right?"

If there was one thing that Emily had learned about Chris, was that when it came to people she cared about, Chris was always paranoid about upsetting them. You could tell by her desk in the office. It was prefectly neat, files organised, monitor straight with two pictures of her family and the team on either side, and an orchid plant. She made sure to keep it looking tidy, and at the same time sentimental to please Strauss. But her drawers at her desk were full to the brim with rubbish that she didn't need, excess supplies and random files.

Emily looked over her seat to where Reid sat, head low, wearing sunglasses as he read through the files. There was a slightly disturbed look on his face, and he blocked everything around him out, like Morgan who was listening to his iPod.

"It's probably nothing, Chris. You shouldn't worry about it," Emily assured her, turning back to the other brunette. Chris still had a gloomy look on her face, but concurred, sipping her mochilatte and closing the file, feeling to apprehensive to sleep. "Tonight was good, before the case, wasn't it?"

Chris smiled slightly, nodding. "I forgot how good it was to be able to have a drink when I go out," Chris chuckled quietly. Emily rose an eyebrow in questioning. "Anna's four in October, Eva turned two on the first, and James is one. I was still breastfeeding when I got pregnant with Eva, and before Eva was even five months old I was pregnant again with James. He only just stopped breastfeeding. I haven't had a drink in over four years," Chris explained, wearily and Emily whistled low.

"Wow... that's... a lot of pregnancy," Emily finally stated, and Chris rolled her eyes, agreeing silently. She yawned and leaned back in her seat, exhausted. Emily gave her a disapproving glance, a natural instinct to take care of the younger woman coming up. "You need to get some sleep."

"You aren't fairing any better than I am, Em. Besides, I can't sleep on planes... or without Spencer. And he isn't talking to me for some unknown reason so looks like I'll just be putting up with being awake. But you should try. God knows JJ is," Chris chuckled, and JJ opened an eye, looked at Chris before playfully hitting her on the arm and going back to sleep.

"I'd feel bad leaving awake with no one to talk to," Emily told her, her voice low, and Chris's eyes went over to Reid, and then gave Emily a sad grin.

"Don't worry about me. I think I have a husband that I need to have a conversation with," Chris lamented, and Emily gave her a supportive glance. Chris gave her a look of tenderness, before she stood and went over to where Reid slept, softly treading the carpet with bare feet. She knelt next to his sleeping form, and shook him gently. Emily looked away from them, to see JJ watching her with a gracious look.

"What?" Emily asked, a slightly defensive undertone in her voice. JJ laughed lightly at it, her blue eyes glowing at her friend.

"You treat her like she's your daughter sometimes," JJ stated and Emily frowned. She began to protest, and JJ rose her eyebrows, cocking her head to the side. "You do the same thing to Spence. It's nothing to be ashamed of. You probably are the closest thing Chris ever had to a mom."

"Yeah, but still... oh god... If I'm the mom, then who's cast as Daddy in this little scenario?" Emily asked, paling and JJ chuckled, saying 'Hotch, obviously'. Emily felt her cheeks starting to burn, while a smirk fell onto JJ's lips. Unbidden, Emily's eyes flicked over to Hotch again, and JJ's eyes widened as Emily's cheeks turned even more red.

"You like Hotch," she hissed gleefully, and Emily glared at her, saying 'shut up!' under her breath, looking around to make sure that no one had heard the blond. JJ covered her mouth, suddenly feeling energized. She leaned over the table. "Oh my god... since when?"

"I don't... I don't like Hotch... I was just surprised, that's all," Emily protested, and JJ just scoffed, shaking her head, before a soft look came over her face. She could see that her friend was in obvious denial. Truthfully, she had begun to see the hints of attraction long before this conversation. A look there, a touch here. Emily's constant worry for Hotch, and how well they got along. Emily had been one of the main things keeping Hotch stable after Haley's death, and her nearly dying at the hands of Doyle had nearly shattered the fragile Hotch.

And then there was the fact that Jack loved Emily. JJ never mentioned it, but she knew perfectly well that Emily doted on the boy, taking him to the zoo and the cinema and trying to be there for him when Hotch couldn't. If Emily hadn't started to like Hotch, JJ would have been extremely surprised.

"Would it be so bad if you did? I mean, you two would look great together... you would **be** great together. And if you ever had a baby, with his dimples and your eyes? That would be one of the most beautiful babies in the world," JJ declared, keeping her voice low enough so that only Emily could hear her. Emily flushed shaking her head, disproved and JJ gave her a pointed look.

"No... Don't be silly..." Emily insisted before she slowly trailed off, images of a little girl with big brown eyes and dimples in her mind. She looked wistfully out of the small round window into the night, and JJ gave her a half-smile and reached over the table squeezing her hand tightly. Emily blinked at her, at the tender expression that JJ had and it made her feel slightly vulnerable. "Do you really think we would be good together?"

"Honestly... I think you'd be amazing, Emily," JJ told her, and Emily swallowed, looking over at Hotch silently, before her eyes fell down to the table top. JJ exhaled slowly, and graciously looked away, past Emily to Reid and Chris. Chris was now lying on the couch with him, on his chest. His legs were bent slightly, with her lying between them and her head rested on his shoulder, him having shifted into a slightly more upright position. They had a thin blanket draped over the both of them, and they both slept lightly.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Emily asked, breaking her out of her trance, and JJ glanced at her, slightly surprised, before she dipped her head, gazing back over at the married couple.

"I think she loves him too much for them not to be."

_-08:26am (Virginia) 06:26am (Los Angeles) -_

Emily rubbed her eyes as she stepped out of the black SUV. She put on her sunglasses, the morning sun bright in the sky. After arriving in LA they had gone straight to their hotel to check in and drop of their things. Naturally, Chris and JJ had both showered and changed to get rid oft he dirty feelign that often came from drinking to much. All three were fully sober once more and ready to work, hyped up on coffee and about four hours of sleep.

Chris stepped out after her, wearing black, perfectly ironed slacks with a crease straight down the centre, and a cream lace kimono style top. On her feet she wore simple black suede pumps, and her hair was French braided to keep it out her face. Her chrome Colt.45 was in it's holster on a brown belt around her waist, along with her badge. JJ followed her.

Her blonde hair was pinned back in a with the rest in curls, and she wore a grey cable knit assymetric sweater with black wide leg trouser and grey seude heels. She carried her Glock 26 on her belt, and had sunglasses on already as she stepped onto the red brick driveway.

"Wow... she really didn't spare any expense when she bought this place, did she?" Emily stated, looking at her fellow female team members, and Chris looked up at the building, shaking her head and whistling. It was rustic Spanish, coming in from a private courtyard with large trees in the yard. A red Porche was in the driveway. "This has to be worth at least a million dollars. Reminds me a little of my mothers summer home."

"Reminds me of the spoiled rich kids from the ranch down the roads," Chris stated nonchalantly, hands on her hips with a cocked eyebrow. JJ looked at her out the corner of her eye, and Chris smirked at her, before she looked at Reid, who was rubbing his temples and ducking his head slightly. She scowled slight, walking away from JJ and Emily. Emily watched as she set her fingers on Reid's temples, tongue moistening her lips as she gave him a worried look.

"Do you have your sunglasses?" she asked softly, and he nodded, his eye twitching and looked at him, before reaching into his pocket and pulling them out. "Put them on, okay? I don't want you in pain," she stated. Reid took them from her quietly and put them on, before giving her a tight hug. She smiled and held him just as tightly, until Hotch gave a disapproving cough.

"Reid, Chris, professionalism now. We have a case," he interrupted. Chris rapidly seperated from Reid, giving a curt aqquiensce to their leader and boss. It was only for a moment, however, as three seconds later, her phone went off in her pocket.

Sheepishly, she looked at Hotch, before answering it. "Hello sweetheart, what's wrong?" she said, and Emily mouthed 'Anna' at her. The other brunette nodded, and then held one figner up, excusing herself for a minute to talk to her daughter.

"We can catch her up later. Lets go," Hotch instructed, and the rest of the team followed him up the driveway and to the large darkwood door. Two heavy men stood on either side, in black suits with sunglasses on.

"This must be the upped security," Emily stated, looking up at Hotch, who nodded. He held up his badge.

"We're the Behavioral Analys Unit with the FBI. Miss Archer requested our help," he told them, and the two men stared down at him, then at his badge, before stepping aside to allow them entrance. Morgan exhaled sharply at the extravagant decor in the lobby, and then whistled.

"Man... this nearly puts some of my houses to shame," he muttered, and Reid chuckled softly, his hands in his pockets. Morgan rose an eyebrow, smirking slightly. "You ready for this, kid?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" he asked, bluntly and Morgan scoffed, clapping him on the shoulder. Chris walked in after them, placing her phone her pocket and looking at Rossi, who rose an eyebrow. She shrugged and beamed at him, standing next to him a a blonde haired woman started to walk down the hallway towards them.

She looked miserable, until she got closer and saw Reid. Her eyes widened, and the woman rushed forward, wrappign her arms around his waist and burying her face into his neck. Chris grit her teeth, fingers twitching to reach for her Colt, until Emily quickly held her arm, warning her not to react.

"Spencer! I'm so glad you came," Lila gushed, her eyes red from obvious hours of crying. He looked at her nervously, a strained smile on his face as she held onto his arm, her hand sliding down and fingers intertwining with his. Morgan winced and looked at Chris, who'se expression had gone cold and steely.

"Miss Archer, I am sure you remember our team. These are members that joined after we met you, Agent Rossi, Agent Prentiss and Agent Reid," Hotch introduced the three, and Lila furrowed her eyebrows, opening her mouth slightly.

"I already know Spencer," she said, confused, and Chris steeped forward, a tight, unwelcoming smile on her face with caused a shiver to run down Lila's spine. Chris held out her hand.

"Agent Chris Reid," she intorduced herself, and Lila hummed in surprise, drooping Reid's hand and shaking hers, asking 'Are you his sister?'. Chris bared her teeth menacingly, looking past Lila at an uncomfortable Reid. "No. I'm his wife."


	3. 26 August 2012 Late Morning

**A/N: This is a Hotch/Emily story. The only difference in this from canon is that Doyle was the one who died (Morgan shot him) rather than Emily 'dieing'.**

**Come on :) LEt's get those five reviews for the next chapter! We are getting better :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Alteration<strong>

_26 August 2012  
><em>_-09:39am Los Angeles-_

Rossi eyed Emily out the corner of his eye, a frown on his lips. As always the woman was all business, looking around the apartment that had been owned by Lila Archer's mother. She stood up straight from where she was looking at a blood stain on the cream carpet and around the apartment. "There isn't a thing out of place... This blood is the only sign that she was even taken."

"She must have known her attacker..." Rossi stated, and he moved around the blood stain, eyeing it slowly, before he took Emily by her arm and placed her at the head of it. Emily rose her eyebrows, looking down at the splatter, as Rossi gazed around. He stopped at a glass top table, and then lifted the lamp of the table, eyeing it curiously. "He must have hit her here over the head, and she fell and bled out onto the carpet."

"He attacked from behind," Emily spoke up, and Rossi nodded. Emily licked her lips and hummed under her breath. "So the Unsub knows the people he is killing, he knocks them unconscious and then cuts them up into pieces. He makes sure they are unable to fight him, before he tortures them. This guy needs complete control over his victims. The UnSub has to have somewhere he can take them, which means he has to be organised about what he is doing. If he does something wrong, he could get caught."

"He would have to be able to move fast. People come and go in this building all the time, so he would have to be able to get her out quickly without raising suspicion," Rossi replied, and she nodded. A thought suddenly struck him, and his eyes widened slightly, as he looked up at Emily from the blood stain. "Or they didn't suspect anything because they knew the UnSub as well."

"Wait, you think the UnSub knew the neighbours as well as the family?" Emily questioned, and Rossi nodded, starting to walk out the apartment. Emily paused. "Wait, what about the ex-husband? If he is mailing parts of the family to Lila, this could be an act of revenge because of the humiliation of the divorce. He would have access to the house, know all the security codes."

"Isn't he with Lila at the moment? They seemed pretty friendly when we left," Rossi pointed out and Emily frowned, knitting her brows together. She shut the apartment door, and observed Rossi, who was eyeing the corridor curiously. "You're a woman. Would you be that nice to someone you had just been through a bitter divorce with?"

"Depends on who it was. Lila and Raymond were friends before they even started dating, they could have just decided that they were better off as friends. You know the tabloids, they make things up all the time," Emily shrugged and Rossi scowled, thinking of his past divorces. None of his had ended with them wanting to be friends. They all just wanted his money, mostly. Emily seemed to catch his thoughts and smirked at him. "Not all divorces are like yours. Despite how much experience you have with them."

"How does this always turn around on me?" Rossi questioned, joking slightly. Emily chuckled, before scowling to herself as she thought about the case. Rossi sensed the change in mood, as the two silently walked out of the apartment complex and onto the sunny street to their black SUV. "So if you don't think its the ex-husband, who do you think it could be?"

"Honestly? I don't know," Emily stated, getting into the front passenger seat and flipping her hair over her shoulder. Rossi went to speak when her phone went off in her pocket, and Emily reached into her trousers, looking at the screen to see who it was. Unbidden, a slow smile worked it's way onto her lips when she saw it was Hotch, only for her to wipe it off when she realised Rossi was watching her and answered, looking away from Rossi.

"Prentiss speaking," she stated, her tone professional, and Rossi quirked an eyebrow, staring at her unnervingly. She pretended it didn't bother her as she listened to Hotch's reply.

"We need you back at the station, we are ready to release a profile," Hotch informed her, and Emily bobbed her even though he couldn't see her, replying 'Yes sir', her back tense and form rigid. There was a smirk on Rossi's lips that could only be described as dangerous, and Emily kept her eyes away from him. "Are you still at Lila's mothers apartment?"

"We're just away to leave, why?" Emily asked. Hotch responded 'It's nothing' before he said goodbye and hung up. Emily exhaled heavily, staring at her phone and then putting it back in her pocked, studiously avoiding Rossi's probing gaze. "We have to get to the station," she told him, turning her head out the window.

Rossi said nothing, keeping a secret smile on his lips as he put the SUV into drive and pulled out of the parking space.

_-10:19am Los Angeles-_

If there was one thing that made it easy for Emily to do as a result of being a profiler, it was to pick up on a tense atmosphere when she was presented with one. Sitting at a table with Chris, Reid, JJ and Morgan? While in the house of the woman that Reid had apparently once dated and hadn't told his wife about? Well that was a situation far more strained then it ever would have been.

Reid kept giving Chris guilty looks, which she was fervently ignoring as she poured over files, drinking coffee like it was water. Every now and then her phone would ring and she would leave the table and every time she came back, her mood steadily got worse and she got more agitated. The coffee wasn't helping either, because it made her jittery and snappy. This made Reid feel even more guilty and he continued to try to get her attention which just kept the cycle going.

Morgan didn't help at all, not sure whether or not to give Reid glares for upsetting the sugar mama (he had conveniently forgotten that only hours before he had been teasing Reid about Lila) or to find the situation hilarious. He had, wisely, adopted the stance of keeping his mouth shut, running through a list Garcia had given them of people Lila had been associated with and gotten close to since the last time the BAU had been there on a case.

JJ kept looking across at them worriedly, in between phone calls to Garcia requesting searched and talking to Lila's PA. Emily knew that the fighting was starting to interfere with the case, and when she got the chance, she was going to have to talk to Chris. Before Hotch did and sent her back to Quantico. Her chance came, when Chris had to excuse herself again to answer her phone, her expression contorting into onto of extreme frustration.

She excused herself from the table in dining room, walking into the hallway and leaning against the wall against the door. Waiting a few moments, JJ gave Emily a swift bob of the head and Emily stood, following Chris who was just finishing her conversation.

Her face had adopted a grim expression as she stared at the i-Phone. Emily stepped towards her, and Chris's head snapped up, her eyes slightly tearful. She swiftly wiped them and gave her a gracious look, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Hey Em."

"You want to talk about it?" Emily asked and Chris smiled dryly, then shook her head saying 'God no'. Emily rose her eyebrows, leaning against the wall opposite the thirty-year old, arms crossed. Chris sighed in exasperation, realising that Emily wasn't going to let up until she got an answer.

"Remember that post that JJ took in the DoD, but left and so now it's vacant? Well, Strauss wants me to take it. Because of how good it will look for her. She's been overloading me with work for the last six weeks to try and get me to take the position and quit," Chris told Emily, who gaped at her, before her lips pursed.

"That bitch. She can't do that," Emily grumbled, and Chris scoffed, but agreed before she looked at her phone again. She licked her lips nervously and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Yeah, but none of that even matters," Chris said. Emily's eyebrows knit together in confusion and Chris took a long shuddering breath. "You know how every month I make you take routine physicals to make sure you are fit to work in the feild?"

"Yeah... I hate them," Emily stated, and Chris chuckled sadly.

"Well, I just got off the phone with my doctor. Apparantly there was an abnormality with my scans and they dectected an unknown shadow in my breast tissue. They want me to go in for a 'mandatory examination' to see what it is," Chris told her, and Emily felt herself going cold, her face paling as she looked at her friend of four years. Chris was shaking, her face white as she sniffed back tears.

"You're not saying that... you can't..." Emily tried and a tear slid out of Chris eye despite her attempts to stop it. Emily felt helpless. She had never been in this situation before... "Chris, there's a chance it might not be..."

"But with my family history, it's far too likely that it will be, Emily. My grandmother on both my Mom and my dad's side died of cancer and my grandad on my Mom's side. My aunt had cancer before she passed away. The history all points to the fact that I will have cancer," Chris argued.

"Don't say that. Look, we don't know what's going to happen, and thinking like that will just make you worry and you don't need that at the moment, okay?" Emily insisted and Chris sucked on her bottom lip, wanting to argue but didn't, just bowing her head. Deciding it was best to change the topic to what she had originally wanted to talk about, Emily spoke again."So you're not mad at Reid?"

"No... not really. I'm just disappointed. I thought our relationship was based upon the fact that we were always honest with each other. He knows everything about me. I'm just hurt that he doesn't think he can tell me about his past, when he has memorised mine," Chris explained. Emily hummed in realisation.

"Are you going to tell him?" she asked, and Chris shook her head, saying 'not yet'. Chris had barely been able to stomach the news yet herself. There was no way she could handle telling Spencer it as well. Emily pulled Chris into a hug, and Chris squeezed her tightly.

"It's going to be okay, Chris..."

_-11:45am Los Angeles_-

Hotch watched Emily out the corner of his eye, noticing a change in her over the last hour. She seemed so much more protective of Chris now, fending off Morgan and Reid when they tried to get to the younger woman. It was admirable, but then very few things about Emily weren't, but Hotch had to wonder why she was doing it.

Emily was naturally protective of the people she loved, but she was rarely as forward about it as she was currently being.

"You know, if you keep staring at her like that, she's going to figure out that you want her," Rossi stated casually from the chair next to him. Hotch turned to look at him, surprised slightly. Then he realised he should have known better than to stare at Emily in front of Rossi.

He was one of the best profilers on the team. Of course he would be able to tell. There was no point denying it, not when it came to Rossi. The other man would instantly know if he was lying, from both years of knowing him and from being a great and famous profiler.

"So how long have you wanted our Prentiss then, Aaron?" Rossi questioned, sipping his coffee as he stared at the board set up in the dining room of Lila's home. Hotch stayed silent, avoiding looking at his old friend. Rossi smirked, shaking his head and rolling his eyes at Hotch. "You know, it's funny. That's exactly how Emily behaved when you phoned at the mothers home. Avoiding and secretive."

"Haven't we talked about profiling the team, Dave?" Hotch asked darkly, eyes narrowing on Rossi and he just chuckled, sipping his coffee. "We made a deal not to do that to each other, Dave. You know if they find out that you were profiling them..."

"I know. But Aaron, I wasn't profiling the team. I was profiling you. You make it too easy not to," Rossi told him, and Hotch scowled, turning from the board and looking over at the team fully. Rossi began to feel too old for all this drama. Hotch and Emily were both grown adults. Surely they were able to confess their feeling and finally get together themselves. Rossi closed his eyes, counting to three, before standing next to Hotch. "She likes you too. You should take a chance. Ask her out to dinner or a movie...or go crazy and do both."

Hotch didn't say anything, crossing his arms and feigning interest in the case photos, pinning them up on the board. Rossi moaned under his breath, looking daggers at his stubborn friend. "If this is about Strauss, she doesn't reprimand Chris and Reid does she? She broke all the fraternizing rules there. Hell, she was the one who gave Chris the job. I just don't get what the problem is."

"Dave, just stop it. This isn't the time to talk about this, nor is it a conversation I wish to have," Hotch declared. Somehow, as if sensing his rising temper, Emily looked up from her discussion with Morgan and JJ to stare at him, licking her lips slowly. He gave her a small smile to assure her he was fine, and she nodded once, looking back at JJ and Morgan. Rossi rose a single eyebrow, and sipped his coffee and then smirking.

"Well, if you won't, maybe I will," he said, and Hotch turned quickly and glared at him. Rossi got a smug look on his face and Hotch actually growled at his friend, causing him to chuckle and drink his coffee. He set the empty cup on the table, and then levelled with Hotch, a matching look of utter seriousness on his face. "I won't ask her to dinner, Hotch. But if you keep waiting, someone else will."

Hotch looked grim, his eyes flashing to Emily.

"I know, Dave. I know."


	4. 26 August 2012 Afternoon

**A/N: This is a Hotch/Emily story. The only difference in this from canon is that Doyle was the one who died (Morgan shot him) rather than Emily 'dying'.**

**Come on :) LEt's get those five reviews for the next chapter! We are getting better :) Please ? Its only five reviews. Just two more than I was previously getting... even a 'it's good'? **

* * *

><p><strong>Alteration<strong>

_26 August 2012  
><em>_-13:36pm Los Angeles-_

Reid waited outside the bathroom, leg jigging rapidly, hand in his pocket and head bowed. He had his sunglasses on, the brightness of the house and the afternoon sun through the sky lights starting to make the head ache he had woke up with that morning worse.

The bathroom doors lock clicked, and his head shot up, sharply, as Chris started to leave the bathroom. SHe froze when she saw him, swallowign nervously and opening her mouth to speak when he grabbed her by the arm and spun her into the bathroom, pinning her to the door. His expression was completely helpless, and his head throbbed.

She stared up at him, eyes wide and mouth gaping. "Spencer..." Chris groaned, looking down at her feet. She couldn't look at him. If she did, she'd cry and then he would ask what was wrong and she would tell him everything and he didn't need to be burdened with that, not while they were on a case. He wasn't accepting that, though, and cupped her cheeks, forcing her to look at him when he tilted her head up to him.

There was a full eight inches of height between them, but it was only four with Chris's pumps. She opened her mouth to speak, but stayed silent, reaching up to his sunglasses and pulling them off to see his eyes. She loved his eyes... The guilt, and sorrow in them caused her to stop breathing for a moment, and she felt so bad for making him feel that way. Her eyes pricked and she sniffed, her forehead resting against his as he leaned down, taking a deep breath.

"I couldn't tell you about Lila. I didn't know how to. Every time I tried, you looked at me and I couldn't speak... I kept thinking if I told you, you would leave me and I can't cope without you," he told her, and Chris inhaled sharply, a tear slipping from the corner of her eye and down her cheek, along her jaw. Reid felt even more guilty for making her cry, and wiped it away with his thumb. "You can't leave me..."

"Spencer, I can't... don't you see how much I need you? I fall to pieces when you aren't with me. I can't handle any of this when you aren't around. So why on Earth would you think would you think I would leave? Especially over some bleached blond damsel in distress? God, Spencer, I miss you when you are in the other room, let alone when you are far away," Chris breathed and he wrapped his arms around her, burying his face into her neck while she held onto his tightly, forehead against his shoulder.

"I keep waiting for it to end... I keep waiting for you to leave... like my dad did," he admitted, his voice slightly muffled by her neck, and Chris squeezed her eyes shut, agonised at the unbridled fear of abandonment that was in his voice. Her finger nails dug into his back slightly and he gazed at her, his dark eyes swirling, almost making her dizzy. Despite herself, she knew all too well how harsh that feeling was. Especially when you blamed yourself for that very thing. She took a deep breath, and pushed him away staring at him evenly.

"Reid..." she started, and he felt his insides go cold at the use of his last name. She had only called him Spencer since they started dating, and for her to call him Reid meant two things. She was detaching herself from the situation, and he was most likely going to be upset at what she was away to say. Her hnds slid down his arm, over the tanned flesh before falling to her sides, her head bowing slightly. She was unable to meet his eyes.

"I love you. I do. I wouldn't have married you and had three kids with you if I didn't. But... our jobs, they put us in constant danger, Reid. There is always a chance that something could happen to us. To me. I would never leave you intentionally. You need to understand this. No matter what, okay, I love you. I love you so much it physically hurts to be apart from you. But there is always the risk that one of us might not come back when we take a case," Chris said, and he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

Groaning, she ran her hands through her hair, having let the hair loose from her braid hours ago, and strode to him, hooking her hand around his neck and pulling his lips down to her. His arms rapidly wound around her, pulling her close to him. They never really did well with big emotional talks anyway... he was too 'Reid' to be able to, and honestly, Chris had never done well in emotional situations. She preferred to ride them out with the only thing she knew well enough to work. Hot make-out sessions in bathrooms... couches... kitchens. Wherever really.

The air between them was charged, from the already high running emotions and obvious lust they held for each other nearly al the time. Her fingers wound into his hair, lips moving across his, hard and needing.

She moaned into his mouth, and he nearly grunted in reply as he grabbed hold of her bottom and lifted her off the floor slightly. Chris squeaked in surprise when the back of her legs made contact with the counted top of the sink. Her shoes slipped of her feet with a thud onto the floor and she wrapped her legs around his waist, perched on the counter.

Reid tipped her head, needing more of her, his tongue sliding over her bottom lip. His body hummed for her, her hands gliding from his hair over his arms and then to his cardigan buttons, making quick work of undoing them. Their tongues danced, sliding along each other and meshing in a way only they could. "Oh..." she breathed, the air leaving her lungs when she felt his fingertips ghost over her hips, her top pushed up to her waist exposing her stomach.

She grabbed the fabric of his shirt and tugged it out his trousers, grappling with his belt. Reid's hands went up under her shirt and she let out a noise of surprise when they cupped her breasts. She arched into him, breathing heavily while he pressed kisses along the ridge of her neck, her head tipping to the side and hair brushed out the way. Chris dipped her hands into his trousers, belt sufficiently loose when a knock on the bathroom door caused them both to freeze, eyes widening like two naughty school kids caught in the act.

"Yo, sugar mama, you in here? I don't want to rush you or anything but there is only one usable bathroom in this place, and you've been in there for about twenty minutes," Morgan's voice called through the door. Chris gaped, her chest resign and falling rapidly, confusion evident on her face. Twenty minutes? "Chris? You there?"

"Er... yeah... I'm here..." she finally managed to say, her words breaking slightly when Reid's hand slowly began to leave her top. Her skin was still heated under his fingers, and caused her to moan as his hands brushed against it to get out from under her top. On the other side of the door Morgan frowned, ear pressed against the door and one hand on the door handle.

"Chris? Are you okay? Do you want me to get Reid? Cause I can try and find the kid if you want. He's disappeared off some... where..." Morgan's voice carried through the door, and Chris could actually tell when he began to figure out out, and almost see the smug smirk that was forming on his lips. She groaned loudly, resting her forehead on Reid's shoulder as her cheeks burned and detracted her fingers from his trousers. "Hey Reid. Didn't think you had it in you."

"Please go away," Reid grumbled back at him, his voice husky and Morgan chuckled darkly. Reid glared at the doorway, and Chris ran her hand over her face, growling loudly. There was silence, before Morgan shuffled again on the other side of the door.

"Seriously though, guys, there is only one usable bathroom, and I really need to go. Like right now."

_-14:05pm Los Angeles-_

Hotch stood next to Emily as she poured herself another coffee, a small frown on her face. Hotch would ask her what was wrong, but the looks that Rossi kept giving him, raised eyebrows and a 'do it... do it...' expression, which kept him from talking to her. She turned and leaned against the counter, looking at him out the corner of her eye. "We are still no closer to catching this guy, are we?"

"We have a list of possible suspects and a profile. Garcia is doing back ground checks on everyone Lila and her mother have been in close relation to and Chris and Morgan are interviewing the ex-husband. We're a lot closer to finding the Unsub then we were this morning," Hotch stated, and Emily nodded, before smiling to herself slightly. Hotch furrowed his eyebrows, his dark eyes taking in the smile curiously. "What?"

"He's gay, you know. Raymond? He's gay. I caught him checking Morgan out earlier and he admitted it. Only decided to 'come out' just before his divorce. Their whole marriage was a cover up. He didn't even tell his mother. She was furious when she found out. Mrs Charles was the one who demanded he keep it out of the press when they got divorced. She didn't want the bad publicity. According to Raymond, she completely blamed Lila for 'ruining' her precious baby boy," Emily told him.

He stared at her for a moment, and she began to realise what she had just said.

"You don't think... Of course, it makes sense! She was close to the family, so no one would suspect her of anything, and she has a motive and a stressor. Has Garcia done a check on her?" Emily questioned, and Hotch shook his head.

"No, but she will," he stated, reaching into his blazer inside pocket and pulling out his i-Phone, pressing his speed-dial for Garcia. Emily watched him, a new light of hope in her eyes. They had a lead. A very viable lead. That could actually solve the case, let them find Lila's brother, and go home.

"Hello, you have reached the office of awesomeness. If you need it done, we can do it. What do you need, Hotchy-pants?" Garcia's cheerful, happy-go-lucky voice came through his phone, and Hotch would have laughed if the reason for the phone call wasn't so serious and it would ruin his reputation as a hard-ass.

"Garcia, not now," he told her, and she went 'oh' on the other end. he heard her shuffling and looked over at Emily. "I need you to run a check on the mother-in-law, Isla Charles. Find out anything about her background, where's she from, her childhood."

"On it, sir..." Garcia stated, and only moments later, after rapid typing she gave a gasp of surprise. "Oh my... looks like our Mrs Charles has been a very naughty girl. Three years in Juvie for attacking her neighbour, set several fires. According to this, her father was terribly abusive and beat her several times before she was taken into custody of the state. Shifted around from foster home to foster home. Amazingly, they all had pets who died very soon after her arriving to say with them."

"Hold on, I'm putting you on speaker," Hotch stated, and Garcia said 'Okay-dokey' as he held up is phone for Emily to hear as well. "You're on speaker phone with Prentiss and I. Morgan and Chris are at the station questioning Raymond, JJ is talking with Lila and Rossi... being Rossi."

"By that, I'm assuming you mean a sexy old fox, right Hotch?" Garcia joked, naturally playful and Emily chuckled softly, before Garcia became serious again. "Okay, so I checked Mrs Charles most recent spendings, and get this. She hasn't got any. Not for the last two months. Not a single purchase on her credit card, absolutely no use of her phones... not even money spent on food. She has dropped completely of the radar. She's either in hiding, or dead."

"I'll call Morgan, see if he can get an answer from Raymond on his mothers whereabouts," Emily stated, already pulling her phone out her trousers. Hotch nodded grimly, his eyes never leaving her as she went to a quieter area to call. Ever since Doyle, her being out of his sight made him feel on edge. If he couldn't see where she was, if he couldn't be there to protect her, someone could get to her again. And he wasn't sure that he would be able to handle that. Not again.

"You still there bossman?" Garcia piped up, getting his attention and he replied 'Yes' darkly, his eyes still not leaving Emily. "Good. I have her address. She lives at 322 Watercress Lane. You got that, broody-man?"

"Yes, Garcia. I have that," Hotch stated edgily, and she chuckled on the other end, saying 'goody-good' happily. "Oh, and Garcia, never call me 'broody-man' again," he instructed, and she chuckled, replying 'yes sir!' before hanging up. Hotch stared at the phone with a scowl, as Emily headed towards him, putting her own phone back into her pocket.

"Morgan told me that Raymond hasn't spoken to his mother since he told her he was gay and she kicked him out of her house," Emily said, a disappointed expression on her face. How could you do that to your only child? She had issues with her parents, what child didn't, but to kick your own son out for the way they were born? It was just brutal. "Do you have an address from Garcia?"

"322 Watercress Lane. Get Chris and Morgan to meet us there. I'll get Reid and Rossi," he ordered, and she rapidly bobbed her head, reachign for her phone only to pause and look at him cautiously.

"Sir, maybe it's best we don't let Chris onto the field," she approached, and Hotch scowled at her, wanting her reasoning. Chris was an agent, and both Hotch and Emily were well aware that she would take offence to not being called out to the scene. Hell, all of them would be upset by it. Emily pursed her lips, a conflicted expression on her face as she continued. "It's just... Hotch, trust me on this, okay? We do't need her in the field at the moment."

After a moment of debating it in his mind, Hotch acquiesced and Emily gave a relieved huff. Then she adopted a completely serious expression, striding alongside him as they left the home of Lila Archer.

_-16:19pm Los Angeles-_

Strapped with a bulletproof vest, the letters FBI emblazoned across the chest, Emily felt the most unfeminine, and least comfortable she had since the week previous. She stood on one side of the front door to Isla Charles's home, Hotch on the other side holding up one finger. Both held their pieces ready. Slowly, in precise movements, he reached over and tried the doorknob.

It opened with a click and she rose her eyebrows, before following him into the small Georgian-colonial cottage. It was understated for LA, seeming out of place despite the fact it was on a street with identical buildings along it. Hotch turned off at a corner, into the living room. It was in complete disarray, signs of a struggle or fight evident in the thrown couch cushions and books and paper strewn across the floor.

"Looks like they really got into a fight," Emily pointed out. Raymond had told Morgan that they had fought, actually physically fought after he had told her, but she hadn't really believed it until now. She stepped past him, and into the adjoining dining room. "Oh my..." she whispered, when she saw every picture of Lila and Raymond torn to peices and the framed photo's glass smashed. "Hotch..."

"I see it," he said coolly, and she looked up at him, Glock lowering. "Morgan couldn't see her in the house anywhere. She isn't here," Hotch rumbled, and Emily looked around, at the pictures on the walls. She squinted, noticing a difference in that picture to the others, and moved closer to one of the frames, looking at it hard. She faced Hotch again, pointing at the image.

"Where is this taken?" Emily asked. Hotch moved beside her, and she felt a shiver run up her spine. She was unable to stop the feeling of warmth that quelled in her from his nearness and she shifted sideways to try and calm in. His jaw tensed at her moving, and he swiftly looked at the photograph, taking it down from the wall and moving away from her. Emily breathed in sharply, wondering why he suddenly seemed so offended.

"We need to talk to Raymond," Hotch declared, starting to stride from the room. Emily exhaled slowly, looking around the room and shaking her head as she followed Hotch, holstering her Glock.

Raymond was none too happy to tell them where the picture was taken. He was still in shock that it was his own mother that was doing this to Lila, who through all was his closest and most dearest friend. He had been horrified honestly, and barely able to mumble that it was their villa in West Hollywood. Hotch had got onto Garcia to get an address and all too quickly were the SWAT teams and the BAU storming the Villa.

The smell hit Emily first. It caused her to gag and her eyes to blur, the stench actually stinging them. Death hung in the air, and blood smeared on the walls, garish red marks against a bright white. All the curtains and blinds were drawn and there was an undercurrent of alcohol and burning under the smell of rotting flesh. Behind her, JJ nearly vomited, her eyes tearing as well and she covered her mouth with one hand, groaning.

"Oh... that's nasty..." Morgan muttered, walking through an archway and looking around in the darkness, barely able to see a thing. His foot hit something, and he furrowed his eyebrows. "Someone open the curtains."

Hotch went over to the window, and pushed open the curtains. The room lit up, and Emily's eyes widened in surprise, while Reid shuddered at the sight before them. The dismembered parts of Craig Archer were piled in the centre of the room, on top of a white sheet seeped with blood. Emily moaned, as JJ retched and looked away. It was one thing to see it in pictures, but another to actually be in the same room as it, smelling it and being able to touch it.

Morgan stepped away from it, blood on the bottom of his boot and marring the toe. Reid took a deep breath, looking away from it uneasily and mumbling under his breath about the smell being the weakest of all senses and that he wouldn't even notice it soon.

Emily separated from the group, and through another archway, her head peering around the corner to see a stairway. She slowly made her way up the stairs, ready to fire if attacked and sniffed. The smell of alcohol was stronger, and it was pungent as she got closer to the end of the hallway, walking along the black railing that prevented her from toppling down the side and to the open landing below.

Kicking the only closed door open, she prepared herself for an assault, only to freeze at the sight in front of her. "HOTCH!" she screeched, dropping her Glock to the ground and running into the room, falling to her knees at the side of an unconscious Isla Chambers. The woman foamed at the mouth, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and an empty bottle of Jack Daniels in one hand.

Her clothes were drenched with blood, and an empty pill bottle that originally was full of sleeping pills lay a few metres away. "Please be alive," Emily whispered, checking for a pulse. When there wasn't one, she pressed her intercom. "We need an ambulance. The UnSub has overdosed. We need an ambulance immediately!" she said, frantically, before she began to pump the woman's chest.

Hotch ran up the stair, terrified that something had happened to Emily. He heard her grunting, and pushed into the room, to see her attempting to resuscitate the UnSub, unsuccessfully. His arms wound around her waist, pulling her away from the corpse. Emily was shaking. For some reason, seeing this woman, overdosed on sleeping pills and whiskey... it was just something that made her feel scared.

It took her back to her mothers depressive episode when she was younger, and Emily had found her in the bathroom... she had almost been too late... She had almost lost her mother. After that, Emily had left her Goth phase and set herself on the straight and narrow.

"She's gone, Emily... she's gone..."


	5. 26 August 2012 Evening

**A/N: This is a Hotch/Emily story. The only difference in this from canon is that Doyle was the one who died (Morgan shot him) rather than Emily 'dying'.**

**OMG! Thank you all for such a great response :) You are the best people EVER! Hope you enjoy the chapter :) Don't really know where it came from honestly ;P Pretty sure I made it up as I went along lol. **

* * *

><p><strong>Alteration<strong>

_26 August 2012  
><em>_-20:59pm Los Angeles-_

"I can't believe that Lila got us into this place... it takes' weeks to get a reservation here," JJ declared, as the group sat around a table. JJ sat with her back to the window, looking over at the dancers on the floor. On her left sat Chris, who sat next to Reid. On JJ's right sat Morgan, and Emily sat on Morgan's right, next to Hotch. Rossi sat between Hotch and Reid, eyeing up a blonde dancer on the floor.

"Yes... I can see why it's so busy" he leered slightly, as the blonde swirled her hips to the classic 'Brick House' by The Commodores. JJ rolled her eyes, as Chris swayed in her seat to the music. Rossi grinned at the group. "I was talking about the food, my dear friends. What you are thinking, I do not care to know," he stated, taking a drink of his red wine with a teasing smirk.

"Sure, Dave... that's what you meant," Morgan responded languidly, leaning back in his seat, his arms around the back of JJ and Emily's chairs. He whistled low, obviously pleased with the view on the dance floor. "Although, I get what you mean, old man... those ladies are fine... I may just give them the unadulterated pleasure of Derek Morgan's company on that dance floor."

"Ah yes, because you are the ultimate 'dirty' foxtrot dancer, right Derek? You can't even dance in a normal club, what makes you think you'll be able to handle the 'classics' of dancing?" Chris questioned, leaning onto Reid, who had been not to subtly reading his book in his lap. Morgan quirked an eyebrow at her, smirking and asking 'oh, and you can?' sarcastically. A slow smile dragged itself across her lips. "Yes, actually I can. One the many clubs my school offered. Joined it after I watched Dirty Dancing for the first time."

"Maybe you and I should hit this floor then, sugar mama. Show these amateurs how it's done," Morgan grinned, leanign forward on the table over to her. She laughed softly, and licked him on the nose, causing him to grimace and rub it. "Ouch, sugar mama, I'm hurt."

"Then get one of the bunny hunny's on the floor to kiss it better. I have the best dance partner I need right next to me," she stated, and Reid flushed, ducking his head as she playfully kissed his cheek. Even Emily started laughing at that, as Morgan spluttered 'Reid?' mockingly, unable to stop guffawing at Chris. She just sat with a proud look, squeezing Reid's knee softly. "Yep. Spencer. One of the best dancers I know."

"Dancing is really all about counting, and basic mathematics. Much like the piano, once you have managed to calculate the steps, it's easy to follow," Reid informed them, causing Morgan to blanch. Reid swallowed, looking around the rest of the team nervously. "I went to ballroom classes when I was nine," he said, and Chris beamed, nestling into his side while he slipped an arm around her waist, cheeks burning. JJ 'awwed' and Morgan flicked a piece of napkin at them, before standing.

"Well, I'm not about to sit here and let myself be beaten by Reid, so I'm going to ask one of these delightful ladies to dance. Watch and learn," he taunted. JJ scoffed and Emily shook her head in amusement. After a moment, JJ stood.

"I have to see this... and get a video of it for Garcia to laugh at when we get home," JJ announced, gliding off in the direction Morgan had went, phone in hand. Chris bobbed her head, shoulders rising and falling with the beat of the song, before it began to change into a new one. The beginning cords of 'Do you love me' by the Contours began to play, and her face lit up.

"Dance with me," she said, looking up at Reid, who looked at the dance floor, apprehensively, and then at his hopeful wife before submitting. She clapped her hands like a child, jumping out her seat and grabbing Reid's hand. She effortlessly pulled him out of his seat, his book falling to the floor with a loud crash. Emily licked her lips, a sudden worried look on her face as she reached out and caught Chris's arm. The other brunette looked at her, surprised, before she gave her a soft smile.

"I'll be fine, okay? Quit worrying, _Mommy_," she drawled the last word, and Emily laughed under her breath, remembering her conversation with JJ and let Chris go, turning back round in her seat to Hotch and Rossi. Hotch nodded at her curtly, acknowledging her briefly. She smiled in response, unable to stop herself, before turning and watching the others dance, JJ having moved from recording Derek's humiliating attempts to foxtrot, to Reid and Chris's surprisingly fluid, fast-paced movements on the floor. A wistful sigh escaped her lips before she could stop it, her eyes flashing to Hotch before back out to the dancers.

"You should ask her to dance," Rossi told Hotch, who glared at him, taking a large gulp of his beer. Rossi scowled at his friends, before looking at Emily. A sly grin came onto his face, which Hotch really did not like the look of. "Or I could... My second ex-wife did tell em she married me because of how good a dancer I was. Maybe it would work on Emily too... I have been meaning to find myself a fourth wife to hold onto."

Hotch was up faster than Rossi could talk, taking Emily's hand. She blinked in surprise, looking up at him. "Would you like to dance... with me?" he added, suddenly feeling unsure. her dark eyes gazed up at him, and he swallowed nervously, a lump in his throat that refused to leave. She gaped at him, before a gracious look crossed her face and she bowed quickly, standing and pushing her seat in.

"I'd love to."

No sooner had they got to the floor, than the song changed to a slower, romantic song, 'Open Arms' by Journey filled the air, and the dancers around them slowed their fast paced dancer to come together. Chris wrapped her arms around Reid's neck, and rest her head on his chest, his arms around her waist awkwardly before he felt comfortable again, settling into a soft swaying with her.

The woman Morgan was dancing with had wrapped her arms around him, her body pressed right against him with a playful look on her face. He grinned back teasingly at her, arms around her shoulders as he danced the slow dance that was possible for everyone. JJ returned to her seat, lookign at Rossi with raised eyebrows when she saw Hotch apprehensively put his hands on Emily's waist.

She breathed in sharply, her stomach fluttering when his hands rested on her waist, and she gave him a curious look, placing her hands on his shoulders. He was tense, looking around as if he expected Strauss to suddenly jump out and make him go to a sexual harassment seminar. "Relax, Hotch. Strauss isn't here," she joked softly, gazing at him through her dark eyelashes. His eyes went to her, and she felt relief at the sight of those rare dimples.

"Sorry... I don't want to make you uncomfortable... having to slow dance with your boss..." he told her awkwardly. She giggled slightly, shaking her head and he felt some of his insecurities starting to slip away with it. She wasn't pushing him away. If anything, she was holding on a little tighter.

"Trust me, Aaron, I think we have been through far more uncomfortable situations than this. Besides... it's only uncomfortable if you don't enjoy it," she trailed off, realizing that had sounded a lot less rude in her mind. He chuckled deeply, and she felt it under her hands, vibrating in his chest. Her tongue darted out and she licked her lips, laughing as well despite the red that stained her cheeks.

"True, you are right," he responded, and she beamed up at him, before looking down at their feet shyly. She couldn't help but feel completely comfortable in his arms, and honestly she wanted nothing more than to just step closer to him and rest her head on his shoulder. Distracting herself, she looked over to Chris and Reid. That niggling feeling of worry sneaked up on her again, and it showed in her face. Hotch caught the change, and looked at the object of her attention.

"She's going to be fine, Emily. Whatever's wrong with her, her and Reid will pull through it. You don't need to worry about it," he told her, his voice low and soothing. Emily gazed at him in shock, before her features softened and she nodded, saying 'I know' quietly. Neither of them noticed the song changing to 'Faithfully' the original version by Journey.

"It's funny, you know? JJ told me that I mother her and I guess she was right. I can't help it," Emily chuckled, her tone slightly saddened, and Hotch pulled her slightly closer to him in response. Emily gave him a tender look, through her lashes and cocked her head to the side. "Although, she did also say that while I'm the mommy of this team, you are the daddy."

Hotch laughed dryly, looking at the different members of the team. "Well then, I think we did a pretty good job of it," he joked, and she snickered, shaking her head in amusement. It radiated of her, and for a moment he was mesmerised by it. They lapsed into a comfortable silence, and her hands wound around his neck, moving even closer to him. The not-couple were toe to toe now, completely comfortable in each others presence, swaying to the soft beat.

"How's Jack?" Emily asked, breaking the silence and Hotch grinned, causing her to glow in response to his happiness.

"He's great. Misses you. He keeps asking for his Aunty Emmy to come and play with him," Hotch told her, and she licked her lips, nodding. Hotch looked at her, attentively, taking in her every curve, the light freckles dotted along her nose. "...You should come to dinner. Maybe on Wednesday?" he proposed cautiously, and her eyes widened slightly, before licked her lips.

"I would like that," Emily stated, and he grinned at her, away to say something when JJ got their attention, coming over to them with a large, glowing smile on her face. Her cheeks were flushed pink and her pupils dilated as she came at them.

"Hey guys! We got shots!" she declared happily, holding up two small shot-glasses filled with a green liquid. "You gotta try this, they are great!" she pushed, handing Emily one of the shot-glasses and Hotch the other. Emily looked at the liquid cautiously, before raising a shoulder and downing it, only to gasp and choke as the sour liquid tore down her throat, leaving a burning path behind it. She grimaced sharply, shuddering.

"My God! What is in that?" she coughed, and JJ shrugged, oblivious to her discomfort, as she turned to Hotch with big, hopeful blue eyes. Emily's tongue darted out and over her lips, the initial taste of the shot gone and replaced by a sweet rose an eyebrow, looking at Emily and then back at JJ, ready to turn it down. He stopped at the look on JJ's face, her lip trembling and eyes larger than a puppy's.

Groaning, Hotch knocked the glass back, amid JJ's cheers and Emily's laughter.

_27 August 2012_  
><em>-10:34am Los Angeles-<em>

Hotch's head pounded as he woke, the effects of the night before reigning havoc on him. The last thing he remembered was the fourth round of shots that JJ bought them. Everything after that was a blur, before it went completely blank and his memory was completely clear. His stomach turned, and before he could stop himself he fell of the edge of the bed, and vomited into the waste-paper basket.

His entire body heaved, and he shook slightly as he stopped hurling, almost hugging the the basket. Never again would he let JJ coax him into doing shots. Never again. He looked in the basket, and grimaced at the sight, nearly retching again. That was the last time he ever drank anything green. His head throbbed, feeling like someone was driving a sledgehammer into it.

Hotch was anything but an amateur drinker. He was quite a seasoned drinker actually and he could handle most drinks, but whatever JJ had made them drink the night before... it was almost unholy. He felt his stomach swirl again, and he leaned over, promptly heaving his guts up. Scratch that... it was most definitely unholy. He leant back agaisnt the bedside table, and then felt a slight breeze.

Blinking blearily, he looked down and moaned when he realised he was completely naked, with a bucket between his legs. Frantically he tried to remember what on earth had happened the previous night. Chris and Reid had left almost as soon as they had started doing the shots, Morgan had lasted three rounds before he disappeared with the blond he had been dancing with... JJ left after the fourth round, and Rossi... Hotch couldn't really remember what had happened to Rossi.

His hands went to his head, scrubbing his eyes as he tried t think but was unable to process any thoughts past his agonizing headache. He took several deep breaths, squeezing his eyes shut before he looked around the dimly lit hotel room, curtains drawn and sun streaming trough a crack between them. His clothes, the suit he had been wearing the previous day were strewn along the floor, thrown randomly over the lampshade and at the end of the bed, mixed with another persons clothes.

He hadn't done something that stupid, had he? He really hadn't slept with someone because he was completely rat-arsed, right? Slowly, and shakily, he pulled himself up, grabbing the edge of the bed and peered over it, to see the still unconscious form of Emily Prentiss. In his hotel bed. "Shit," he hissed, putting his hand to his head and falling back onto his bare butt with a thud.

Emily Prentiss. He had drunken sex with Emily Prentiss. Someone he hadn't even been able to ask on a date yet, and he had slept with her. He glowered darkly. This was Rossi's fault. He just knew it. JJ wouldn't have ordered those shots on her own. it had to be Rossi. That meddling bugger. He brooded, his eyebrows dangerously low over his eyes and he put her head in his hands. He needed to rectify this situation... How did he fix this?

"Whoa!" Emily suddenly gasped, shooting into a sitting position and panting for breath. Her eyes fluttered rapidly, before she groaned loudly in pain, her hands going to her head and gripping her head. "Oh that's a fucking bugger!" she cursed loudly, the feeling of a thousand elephants trampling over her head prominent. She fell back against the pillow, nausea turning her to jelly. If there was one thing she was thankful of, it was that she never threw up after drinking.

She scrunched up her nose, in disgust, when the smell of fresh vomit reached her senses. Her eyes opened slowly, and she scowled, sitting up as a feeling of fear began to niggle at her stomach.

"Please... oh please no..." she mumbled, looking around and taking in the room, the clothes and the dark eyes looking at her from the edge of the bed. Emilys jaw dropped and she gaped openly, when an unfamiliar feeling began to come over her.

In one stumbling movement, she fell to the edge of the bed that Hotch was at, and her head fell between his legs into the waste paper basket as she was sick for the first time in over twenty years. Hotch's eyes widened, and he pulled her hair pack as the naked woman hurled into the basket. His own stomach began to swirl, and he swallowed the bile rising in his throat.

Emily slipped of the bed, her legs falling to the ground as she hugged the basket. Her eyes burned with tears and she felt humiliation begin to consume her. She shuddered, feeling cold now that she was out of the warm bed and in the air-conditioned air of the hotel room, as bare as the day she was born. She wiped her eyes, and sat up, looking at Hotch, unable to speak.

"I... I have to.. I have to go," she finally managed, and he frowned as she grabbed the blanket from the bed, wrapping it around herself and going in search of her clothes. He looked around for his boxers and found them on top of the rooms phone. Pullign them on, he stood and followed her.

"Emily. Emily, please, stop. EMILY!" he ended up shouting, causing her to whine as her head throbbed. He didn't seem any happier, rubbing his temple with his fingers and squinting at her. She breathed heavily, unable to look at him because of her embarrassment. He strode over to her, gripping her by the shoulders and forcing her to look up at him as gently as he could.

He could see the humiliation in her eyes, and his heart ached at causing her such emotion. "Emily, whatever happened last night... it was something that I don't regret, understand? Granted it was under the best circumstances... but I in no way regret it," he told her and she drank in his words, barely able to process them through the haze of her headache but trying to anyway.

"I'm sorry I put you in this position, but last night, is something I have wanted to do for a long time," he continued, and her eyes snapped up to his. She definitely heard that, right? He had just said he had wanted to do it? In fact, if she remembered correctly (which she might not, it was all a little blurry) he was the one who made the first move. She scrutinized him as best as she could, trying to decipher if he was telling the truth.

However she couldn't deny the truth in his eyes. She had never known Aaron Hotchner to lie, and she knew he wasn't away to start now. He was the only man she had ever met who had always been honest with her. Even Reid had lied to her at one point. Emily took a shuddery breath and nodded slowly, apprehensively.

"Okay... so.. what do we do now?" she asked, knitting her eyebrows together. She didn't know what to do in this situation... what did you do after having drunken sex with your boss that you secretly really quite like but you can't remember what happened? Especially after him telling her that he didn't regret it? Hotch was saved having to give her an answer when his phone vibrated on the bedside table.

He let her go, crossing the room to it and lifting it from the bedside table. "It's Rossi. He wants to know where I am. The planes due to leave in twenty minutes," he told her. Emily's eyes widened, and he looked up. "You take the shower, I'll get your stuff from your room," he instructed, knowing how dirty she must feel. Alcohol sweat and sex tended to do that to a person.

Emily gave him a thankful smile, before she disappeared in a hurry to the bathroom. Barely a second later, he was rooting through her trousers to find her room key, and rushing to get her stuff before she was finished in the shower. Hotch nearly cheered when he found the key, leaving the room with his shoe propping the door open and crossing the hallway to her room. Her stuff was already neatly packed in her go-bag on her bed. Grabbing it, he checked the bathroom for her toiletries and then left the room again.

He shot across the hall, amid giggles from a cleaner as she came up the hallway with her cart and hastily pulled on a pair of clean boxers, some pressed trousers and a shirt. Foregoing his usual blazer and tie, he shoved his stuff into his go-bag, knowing it would irritate him for the entire flight until he got home, but needing to move rapidly. His fingers ghosted over his buttons, doing them up as he looked around for his sunglasses, the low light in the room still giving him a headache.

A five-o'clock shadow of stubble scratched at his hand s he rubbed it over it and Hotch frowned, but shrugged it off, grabbing his sunglasses from beside the television and putting it on. Emily shut off the shower, coming into the room with a towel wrapped around her. His eyes flicked over to her, before he gave her a curt nod, darting into the bathroom to brush his teeth, closing the door behind him.

In the minute and a half it took for him to do that, Emily dressed in her black slacks and a plain white t-shirt, pulling her wet hair into a messy ponytail. She ran her tongue over her teeth, and decided it was safe enough to brush her teeth on the plain, taking a swig of the mini-bottle of mouthwash she took every where with her and spitting it out into the waste paper basket.

Painfully aware of the fact that she wasn't wearing any underwear, she collected her clothes from the floor, hastily folding them and putting them in her bag as Hotch left the bathroom. He rammed his feet into his shoes, and for a moment, Emily couldn't help but admire him. Even with a hangover, a stubbled jaw and his shirt un-tucked, he still looked good. She scowled. That was unfair.

"You ready?" he asked, and she nodded, away to hoist her bag onto her shoulder when he took it from her, carrying both his and hers go bags. A small smile crept onto her face, as she put on her sunglasses against the bright lights.

That was kind of sweet...


	6. 27 August 2012 Afternoon

**A/N: This is a Hotch/Emily story. The only difference in this from canon is that Doyle was the one who died (Morgan shot him) rather than Emily 'dying'.**

**OMG! Thank you all for such a great response :) You are the best people EVER! Hope you enjoy the chapter :) Don't really know where it came from honestly ;P Pretty sure I made it up as I went along lol. **

* * *

><p><strong>Alteration<strong>

_27 August 2012  
>-13:34pm (Los Angeles) 10:34pm (Quantico, Virginia)-<em>

JJ eyed her older brunette friend as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. A small smirk was on her lips. JJ had mostly recovered from the night before, having gotten eight hours straight of sleep and a full breakfast in her. Chris had foregone alcohol completely, and was now playing chess with Reid. Funnily enough, she was terrible at chess. Made up the rules as she went along. And Reid, despite his nature of following the rules, let her. Of course, that didn't mean he was letting her win.

"Okay, that's it. I'm done playing chess with you," Chris stated, boredom setting in as she stood and walked around to Emily and JJ. She flopped into the seat next to Emily, sighing. JJ smiled at her, and Chris nodded before looking at Emily. "Whoa, mommy dearest, what's up with you? You look wrecked." She was blunt as ever, and Emily glared at her, before her eyes caught Hotch's as he walked from the bar with his third mug of coffee.

She flushed and gave him a weak smile, which he returned before sitting down and closing his eyes, rubbing his temples. Chris narrowed her eyes, them flashing between Hotch and Emily before she gasped in excitement. "Oh my god, you two totally had sex!" she hissed, her face lighting up and Emily paled, gaping at her. JJ made a curious noise, leaning over the table as well with fascinated eyes.

Chris seemed to revert back to a gossiping teenager as she repeatedly hit Emily on the arm, playfully. "Tell us! Come on, come on, come on! Tell us about it. What is any good? Ooh, did he do that thing where they run their fingers down your spine and it tickles like crazy?" she rambled. JJ rose her eyebrows, and Emily blinked in confusion. They both gave Chris an amazed expression, and she slowly flushed, realising her mistake. "So... that's something only Spencer does then... okay..."

"I.. I didn't have sex with Hotch..." Emily lied, and JJ rolled her eyes. One thing about Emily that JJ was certain of was that she was a terrible liar. Emily glowed, ducking her head to hide her face. Chris chuckled, and then looked over to the pile of files on the brown chest along the opposite side. She stood, giving JJ a 'Keep-on-her' look.

"Don't let her go without admitting it, okay? I have to go start this paperwork. Otherwise I'm going to be in the office all night," Chris exhaled, a dark look on her face and she lifted the files, going over to the chair opposite Reid and pulling her laptop out its case. He looked at her, with a soft smile, before returning to his book. She plugged her memory stick into the computer, and opened the top file, reading through it.

JJ gave Emily a persistent gaze, and Emily squeezed her eyes shut, before she looked helplessly back. "I slept with Hotch..." Emily mumbled, and JJ grinned smugly, crossing her arms over her chest. Emily groaned, and rammed the heel of her fists into her eyes. "I can't remember it. I can't remember any of it. It was those damn shots you gave us, Jayje," shecursed the blond and JJ licked her lips sheepishly.

"Hey... it was Rossi's idea. He thought that it would get you two to finally loosen up and admit that you liked each other. Obviously it worked just a little bit too well," JJ apologised, and Emily replied 'You think?', feeling harsh and slightly hurt at being manipulated like that. JJ bit her lip, furrowing her eyebrows, and reaching over the table. She took Emily's hand in her and squeezed it lightly. "I'm sorry, Em. I didn't think it would upset you this much... I just wanted you to be happy."

"I was happy," Emily argued, and JJ rose her eyebrows, disbelief evident on her face. Emily exhaled heavily, looking out the window. She wasn't able to tell JJ that she had been happy. If anything, she had been coasting along. The only true times she had truly been happy, was when she was with Hotch and Jack. It wasn't that she didn't love her friends, because she truly did, but there was something about having someone looking up to you that just made her feel so important, and so happy.

"Emily... you weren't happy. I thought that this would make you happy. I thought being with Hotch would make you happy," JJ told her, and Emily smiled, with slightly pursed lips. JJ let go of her hand, leaning back in her seat, and cocking her head to the side. Emily licked her lips, pulling her hair out of her ponytail and shaking it loose, before collecting it again and putting it back into the ponytail. "Did he say anything? Have you talked about it?"

"He... he said he didn't regret it," she told her friend, and JJ gave her a gracious look. Emily licked her lips, letting her head fall back tiredly. Silently, she thanked Chris for always having aspirin on her. Reid may not take them, but Chris wasn't going to not keep them with her in case his headaches ever got to much. "What do you think I should do? Should I talk to him, or wait until he talks to me?"

"I think that you two have unresolved issues now, and you are going to have to deal with them, together. I can keep Rossi out of your business, and I won't interfere, but you two will have to talk about this, Emily," JJ said, an empathetic look crossing her features. Emily gave her a strained smile, not really looking forward to that conversation. JJ took a deep breath. "No matter what happens, we're your family Emily, and we'll stand beside both of you no matter what decision you make."

"I know you will. I never doubted it, not for a second."

_-19:07pm Virginia- _

The plane had landed at 16:13pm, and naturally other than Chris and Morgan who had gone into the office to organise the paperwork from the case, the group had all headed home. Reid had gone to collect Anna from school, and then Eva and James from the baby-sitter. JJ had called Will and he had got her from the airfield after he had picked Henry from Pre-Kindergarten. Rossi had headed home, and so had Emily, Hotch picking up Jack from school before heading home as well.

Chris's fingers flew over the keyboard, her eyes never leaving the screen other than to look down at her file. She was so intently vested in the file, she didn't notice a shadow sneaking up behind her, until a hand placed itself on her shoulder. Jumping, she instantly reached for her Colt, spinning and holding it in an offensive position. Morgan backed away quickly, hands in the air and grinning at her playfully.

"Whoa, sugar mama. What's got you so jumpy all of a sudden?" he asked jokingly, and she chuckled apprehensively, trying to disguise her heavy breathing. With a shaky 'nothing' she holstered her Colt, running her hand through her hair. Morgan frowned, leaning against the railing for the upper level offices. He crossed his arms, a single eyebrow cocking as he looked at her. "Now I know you ain't telling me the truth, Chris."

"It's just... nightmares, you know? I'm fine. Really," she smiled tightly, but she knew he wasn't away to let it go. Licking her lips, she looked at the picture of Reid, Anna, Eva and James on her desk and closed her eyes for a moment, before slumping in her seat. "I love this job, I really do. I've been doing for coming up to three years and nine months. That's only a moth shy of how long Anna has been alive. I love it, and I love you all like family... but this job isn't any easier than when I started."

"I'd be worried if it was," Morgan stated, and Chris pursed her lips, her head bowing. He cocked his head to the side, trying to get her to look him in the eyes. Chris turned to him, knitting her hands together, her elbows resting on her knees and chin resting on her clasped fists.

"You know what I mean, Derek. When I was a nurse... we spent our time trying to help the people who's lives had been saved. Who were on the road to recovery, or dying because of something we couldn't do anything about. I won't say I didn't have nightmares, because I did, but they were few and far between. But this... this job... I see people who are dead, butchered and there was nothing I could do to help save them. The only thing I can do is help catch the UnSub who did it, and I feel worthless because of it."

"What we do means just as much as what you used to do, Chris. You know these people need us, we need to do this job to protect people in the future from these UnSubs. You shouldn't feel worthless," he told her, and she looked away from him, biting her lip.

"Do you know that part of my job requires me to sort out all the files in JJ's office? She has about... one hundred and seventy files in there. I have sorted through everyone of those files, catalogued them by alphabetical order, than by case type and then by the _brutality_ of the case. JJ, she has to then go through each of those files to select _one_ for us. One case. That is what makes me feel worthless. That for one killer we catch, there is still another hundred out there, running free," Chris declared, and he shook his head, before playfully knocking on her forehead.

"You can't think into it that much, sugar mama. It'll drive you absolutely nuts. You need to focus on the fact that we catch at least one of those sons of bitches, and all the good things we have our lives, not that other stuff," he told her and she grinned at him, albeit humourlessly. Her eyes went back to her picture and she inhaled deeply, and stoo, looking Morgan dead in the eye.

"Okay. I'll look at the good side, if you promise me something, okay?" she asked, and he furrowed his eyebrows, but agreed. Chris placed her hands on his arms, looking at him seriously. "If anything happens to me, anything at all... you gotta look after Spencer and the kids. Anna's in sixth grade. She can get through a whole grade in six months, Derek. By the time she's nine, she's gonna be finished high school and she will follow her dad and go to university. Don't let her waste her life on just that okay? She's smart, hell she's a genius, but don't let her be only a genius."

"You're starting to sound like you're dying there, Chris," he said, and she grit her teeth. "What's going on with you? Why are you asking me this?"

"Morgan, please. Just promise me," she pleaded, her eyes boring into his and he exhaled heavily, before giving in. She gave him a thankful glance, before hugging him tightly and then turning back to her desk, sitting down on her swivel seat. "Thank you, Derek. Now, let me get back to work. I have to finish this paperwork before tomorrow."

Morgan scoffed, and pulled her chair away from the desk, causing her to pout and look up at him. "Oh no you don't, sugar mama. You ain't doing any work until I'm sure that you've got your head on right again. I'll finish this, you go and see your kids," he pushed and she shook her head, protesting. "It wasn't a suggestion, Chris. Go home. I'll finish this."

"I... oh, fine. I'll see you tomorrow," she gave in, and he grinned slyly. She rolled her eyes, and kissed his cheek, before collecting her handbag and coat. "Goodnight, Derek."

"'Night, sugar mama."

_-19:34pm Virginia-_

Emily stood nervously outside Hotch's home, twisting the handle of her bag nervously as she tried to work up the courage to knock. Inwardly, she cursed herself for such cowardice. She was a forty two year old woman, and she was scared to face her boss, when she faced danger nearly every day on her job. Swallowing her fear, she rose her hand and knocked on the door.

Only a moment after she had knocked, did the door swing open and the beaming face of seven year old Jack Hotchner appear before her. "Aunty Emmy! You are here! I missed you so much!" he said happily. He latched onto her waist, and Emily laughed nervously, stroking the seven year old boy's sandy haired head. The boy looked just like Haley, except for his bright, hazel eyes. "Guess what! I learned how to tie my shoe laces! And I painted you a picture! Do you want to see it? My teacher says it's really good."

"Of course I want to see it, but first, I need to talk to your daddy, is that alright? And then you can show me how you can tie your laces and the picture, yeah?" she queried and he nodded rapidly, grabbing her hand and dragging her into the house excitedly. Emily chuckled under her breath, nearly tripping over her heels as Jack dragged her through to the livign room, and pushed her down onto the couch.

"You gotta wait here, okay? I'll go get daddy. He's making me spaghetti!" Jack said, as hyper as any seven year old could be. Emily grinned at him, bobbing her head and watching ashe rushed from the living room, shrieking 'Daddy!' at the top of his voice. Just being in the boys presence was enough to put her at ease, and she stood, treading over to the front door that Jack had left open and shutting it.

She could hear Jack's voice complaining in the kitchen as Hotch told him insistently that he wasn't supposed to answer the door, exclaiming that it was only 'Aunty Emmy' in that huffy tone that only a child could have, petulant that he wasn't in the wrong. Emily crossed the room again, sitting down on the grey sofa, her hands clasping in her black denim clad lap.

A few moments later, Hotch appeared, wiping his hands on a dish towel. He was dressed casually, in denim jeans and a polo shirt, with no shoes on. He set the dish towel on the back of the couch, Emily standing to greet him and unable to process any actual words. His expression was guarded, not having expected her. Se stammered, and then scowled at her inability to actually speak.

"We need to talk," he stated, gravely, and she closed her mouth, her already creamy skin turning white slightly. He gestured to the couch, and she looked at it, before sitting again. He sat on the edge of the coffee table opposite her, legs apart and bent at the knees, hands clasped. "Emily, I want to apologise for the position I put you in this morning. I understand that it was a sensitive situation, and I was rather... direct about my feeling for it. I didn't mean to put any pressure on you, nor want to make you uncomfortable."

"Aaron... I... Look. I was a little... out of sorts. It's not the kind of situation I frequently find myself in, waking up naked in a hotel room with my boss. So naturally I was a little weird about it, and I am sorry about that. It all just came as a shock to me," Emily told him, bluntly, and he nodded slowly, digesting what she was telling him. For a moment, the urge to just kiss him swelled within her, at the pensive look on his face, his brow furrowed and lips in a straight line and she wondered how it would be received.

If what he had said this morning was anything to go by, it would probably be very happily accepted, but Emily wasn't sure if she would risk it. If he pushed her away, she was pretty sure she would break inside. Hotch finally spoke again, gazing straight into her eyes.

"Emily, I'm too old to play games, and to say that I don't want you. I do want you, and I do like you. And I would want to see if this could go somewhere, if you wanted to. But if you don't I'm not putting any pressure on you. I don't want things between us to become awkward or tense. We are friends, and if that's all you want to be, then... I can handle it. But I can't do this back and forth thing," he said, and Emily admired his honesty. Not many men she knew would be so forward, or directive about it. He was giving her options, he was giving her an out.

She licked her lips, thinking it over. He was right, he was too old to play games, but then again, so was she. If they did this, it was all or nothing. No second guessing, because they had this one chance. If it went pear shaped, that was it. She needed to decide if it was worth it. Taking a deep breath, she ran her eyes over him, from his dark eyes, to his oh-so-kissable lips to his taut upper body before looking back at his eyes, which seemed to burn into her, searching for an answer. Luckily, she was just as good as he was at the cold front.

It was a risk... a very dangerous, and calculated risk... But was it one worth taking? Could she do it? Emily bit her lip, and then nodded slowly. It was too good to miss. If she didn't take the chance now, she might never get it again. "Okay... lets do it," she articulated and he blinked, his mask slipping as he realised what she was saying. "But we have to take it slowly. No repeats of last night. We have to do this right."

"Naturally. Too much in danger if we rush into this," he agreed, but she could already see his eyes lighting up. She smiled at him, warmly and he flashed her his dimples in response, something she loved to see. "We should tell the team," he proposed and she concurred. Garcia would eat her alive if she kept this a secret and JJ would happily let her, while Chris would just roll her eyes and secretly be upset for weeks on end if Emily didn't tell her.

"So, we're doing this then?" she questioned, nervously, and he grinned, his head bobbing. She chuckled, and scrunched up her nose slightly, when an excited Jack rushed between them, grabbign Emily's hand.

"Are you done talking to Daddy yet, Aunty Emmy? Cause I got my painting to show you and my shoes and you promised that I could show you once you had done talking to Daddy and it looks like you are done talking to Daddy cause you have gone all quiet like my class does when the teacher pus her hand in the air," Jack rambled with large hopeful eyes. Emily's eyes fluttered in surprise, before she smiled broadly at him, bowing her head.

"Yay, come on, it's in my room!" he cheered, and Emily was pulled of the couch by the eager boy. She looked over at Hotch helplessly, who just smirked in response, leaving her at the mercy of his son to finish dinner.

"Will you be staying for dinner, Emily?" he called down the hallway, and there was a brief pause of silent before she called back 'If it's no bother' sounding obviously flustered. He cracked a little at that, stirring Jack's spaghetti hoops in the saucepan.

She was staying for dinner.


	7. 30 August 2012 Morning

**A/N: This is a Hotch/Emily story. The only difference in this from canon is that Doyle was the one who died (Morgan shot him) rather than Emily 'dying'.**

**I am so glad you like this story :) Thank you for making it what it is :) I hope you enjoy the rest of teh story as much as you have the first few chapters ;) Please read and review!**

* * *

><p><strong>Alteration<strong>

_30 August 2012  
>-08:34am-<em>

Many people overlooked the utter simplicity and pleasure that you could get from a morning routine. Some groaned about it hated getting up to face a new day. Some just slept right through until lunchtime to avoid it, and some never even went to bed the night before, effectively stalling morning until the next time they decided to sleep. However, when you had a job that required you to be in many different places like the BAU were, it meant that you had a much more appreciative view of morning routine.

Hotch enjoyed being able to get up early, and take a long shower and then making his and Jack's breakfast. He then woke Jack up and they ate together, before he got Jack ready for school and dropped him off at Jessica's. He was almost always at work first, for 08:25am. Those moments he got to spend with Jack, those easy, simple moments, where some of the best he got.

JJ woke up in the morning, to an excitable Henry bouncing on her bed to get her attention and breakfast in bed from Will. Then she would shower, get dressed and give Henry a big kiss, and say goodbye to Will, before going to work for 09:00am. She often craved that routine when they were on a case. Waking up to Henry's face was better than waking up alone in a hotel room.

Morgan was up at 06:00am every morning, and went for an hour long run, before going back to his penthouse and getting clean. Depending on the night before, he would either be saying goodbye to whatever woman he had slept wit the night before when he left, or taking an extra ten minutes to eat his breakfast before he left for work and arrived at work for 09:00am, occasionally late.

Chris and Reid woke up at different times. Reid was always up first at 05:00am, along with Anna, and they would play the piano, have breakfast while Chris slept until 07:10am. Chris made breakfast for everyone, and then checked her emails while eating her breakfast. Reid left for work at 08:00am and walked there, stopping to get coffee on the way while Chris took Anna to school, and Eva and James to the baby-sitters. They had fine-tuned their routine so much that they both ended up walking through the door at the exact same time of 08:45am.

Rossi was always last to arrive, strolling into the BAU at about 09:30am to 10:00am. He liked to take his time in them morning, sleep in and then leave after rush hour. His routine wasn't so much a routine, as a general outline of how he processed the morning. Garcia was much the same. In fact, most assumed that she lived in her office, until she went home and walked in the following morning at 09:00am, a blur of colour and blond hair, chirping happily.

Emily, despite herself, knew each and every one of those routines. She made it a point to be aware of these things, even though she knew how it would look if the others found out. They would think that she was developing stalker-like tendencies. Emily was the second one to walk through the doors of the BAU in the morning and sit at her desk, with selection of apple and cinnamon muffins, fruit salad and chocolate brownies and a white chocolate latte from Starbucks.

She sat at her desk, watching as Reid walked through the doors alone. He seemed a little confused, occasionally looking to his side, expecting to see Chris there, only for her not to be. He stumbled slightly, bumping into Morgan's desk before he sat down at his desk. For a minute, he floundered around, going to turn on his computer and then stopping, opening his desk drawer and closing it again.

"Reid... are you okay?" Emily asked, raising an eyebrow, and he looked up at her, surprised, before nodding.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine... do you know what I'm supposed to be doing? I don't really know," he told her, a genuinely puzzled expression overcoming him as he looked at his desk. Emily began to wonder just how much of what Reid did in his morning wasn't pre-organised. He was perfectly capable of looking after himself, but it was no secret that occasionally had the mentality of a child. It probably didn't help that they all treated him like one, someone who needed to be protected and cared for. It was a hard habit to break.

"My guess, turning on your computer might be a good start, Reid," she instructed, and he stared at her, before turning and switching on the computer. It whirred to life, the flat screen monitor lighting up. After that, Reid went into auto-pilot almost, opening a file on his desk and reading through it, drinking his coffee in large gulps and then playing with a bright yellow yo-yo he had in his drawer, mumbling about the physics and effect of gravity under his breath. "So, Reid... where is Chris?"

"I... I don't actually know... she just said she was going to be in late," Reid stated, and Emily smiled patiently, responding 'Alright' and letting him go get himself a coffee from the kitchenette. Resting her chin on the palm of her hand, she hummed to herself under her breath, her eyes straying slowly to Hotch's office, peering through the window at him. A small bubble of happiness burst inside of ehr, and before she could stop herself, she began to smile broadly, a dreamy look on her face.

He was her... boyfriend? Too young... Partner? Too soon... Lover? Too... sexual. Her was her something. That much she knew. Feeling eyes on him, he looked up from the paperwork he was doing to see Emily looking at him. He smiled at her, and she flushed, sitting up straight and spinning on her chair back to her desk. Chuckling he shook his head in amusement, as she looked over her shoulder again, cheeks red. He waved slightly and she licked her lips, waving back.

Turning back to her computer, a lot less flustered, she scrolled down her screen, her eyes trailing over the e-mail she had gotten from Chris that morning. She frowned to herself, wondering why Chris would go to the Breast Clinic alone when she had been so worried about it. If Reid's lack of knowledge about the situation was anything to go by, she hadn't even told her husband.

Just what was going on with that woman?

_-11:07am- _

Emily poured herself her fifth cup of coffee, quietly contemplating how unhealthy it was the amount of coffee they drank and then arguing that at least she didn't drink as much as Reid, who was on his tenth mug. She felt someone come up behind her, and looked over her shoulder to see Hotch there, a grin on his lips, dimples in full effect. Emily would have sworn that she actually swooned, her knees going slightly weak at the sight.

"Hi," she breathed, and he coked an eyebrow at her tone, only to realise that he really quite like the huskiness it gave her voice. She seemed to notice the way that had sounded and giggled nervously, turning to face him, holding her steaming mug of coffee in her hands. There was a noticeably tender look in her eyes as she beamed at him. "How are you?"

"I'm good, thank you... very good, actually. You see, I have this beautiful new girlfriend, and I can't wait to take her to dinner tonight," he said, smirking at her as he poured himself a cup of coffee as well. She grinned, going 'really?' in amusement and sipping her coffee.

"Oh, and are you sure that this girlfriend is going to be available for dinner? What if she already has plans, hmm? Say with some friends or, god forbid, her parents?" she teased, her tone lilting playfully as she reached out with one hand and played with his tie, flirting shamelessly. Somehow she seemed to slip right into it, and he responded in kind. They just fitted in a way that she had never before with anyone. It was too comfortable to be awkward.

"Well then," he drawled, and before she knew it, his arm was wrapped around her waist, and he was pinning her to the counter. "She would just have to cancel them, because what I have planned for dinner is so... much.. more.. fun," he told her, and she bit her lip, that offer so much more enticing than it should be, and sounding much more arousing then it most definitely was.

"Is it Pictionary? 'Cause that's fun for everyone," she responded, and he chuckled deeply. She glowed at the fact that she had made him laugh, taking a sip of her coffee as she looked him in the eye playfully. "Okay, so what does your girlfriend have to wear? Because she may just need a few hours to get ready, and I'm not sure that her boss will let her take that time."

"Oh I think he'll be more than understanding. It is a very serious situation, after all," he told her, his expression going grave and she went 'ah' in agreement and fake realisation. His expression lightened again, and he reached around her, to get his cup. "I'll pick you up from your apartment at eight," he stated, and she hummed in response, her eyes flitting down to his lips curiously.

Just once, she wanted to kiss him. Just once. Surely she was allowed to do that, right? However it was obviously not meant to be, as a victorious looking Rossi approached them. The look on his face could only be described as triumphant and smug. "What do we have here then... looks like some people I know finally pulled their heads out of the ground and got it together. How about that..."

Hotch unwound his arm from Emily's waist, and glared at Rossi, who grinned back harmlessly. Emily glowered at him too, but neither of the couple made any attempt to quiet him. Though Hotch did see this as the perfect opportunity to get revenge for the previous night, and a delectable smirk fell onto his features. Rossi narrowed his eyes at it, too good a profiler not to pick up on the change in the man's demeanour.

"Dave, I actually needed to talk to you. Come to my office in five minutes," he ordered, and Rossi rose his chin, calculating his friends motives. Hotch merely grinned darkly, and picked up his coffee, looking at Emily. "Eight o'clock," he reminded her, and she blushed pink, nodding, before he turned and left the kitchenette, heading up the stairs to his office. Rossi looked at her, seriously.

"Do you know what this is about?" he asked, cautiously,and she clucked ehr tongue, acting nonchalontly.

"None at all, Rossi... absolutely no idea," she told him, feigning innocence and then she followed Hotch's example, leaving Rossi to think in the kitchenette and returning to her desk, feeling proud of herself. She was just logging onto her e-mail, when Chris bounced into the office, literally glowing as she glided to her desk. Emily guessed that whatever the news was, it was good news.

Reid looked up from the textbook he was powering through to talk to his wife, and instead she just bent down and kissed him, her arms wrapping around his neck. He looked surprised for a moment, but pushed the book onto the desk and gripped her hips with his large hands, pulling her into his lap. Morgan wolf-whistled, while Emily cracked up at the display.

Chris pulled back from Reid, staying in his lap and shining at him. "I love you," she told him, and he furrowed his eyebrows, responding 'I love you too' accordingly. Morgan mock-gagged. Chris stuck her tongue out at him, and pressed her lips back to Reid's.

"Okay, not that this little love-fest isn't adorable, can you please quit it before I bring up my breakfast? Cause it's just gross," Morgan stated, and Chris rolled her eyes, although she did separate from Reid and climb off his lap, going to her desk.

"You're just jealous you aren't getting any," Chris told him. Morgan scoffed, copying her previous move of rolling his eyes. He opened his mouth to retort and Emily gave him a warning look, playing mediator between the two. Morgan was like the irritating older brother that they had, but never wanted. Over-protective and a total joker. Chris was the middle child, teased and hard-working, she was always striving for acceptance, despite not needing to. The more time she spent with them though, the more she felt accepted, and had comfortable adapted to the role. Reid was the little brother (to everyone other than Chris) and always in need of protection, or support.

JJ was the older sister that everybody wanted, resourceful, responsible and caring, trying to look after everyone. Garcia was the quirky cousin, adored by all because she was so awesome and Rossi the slightly flirty uncle that you went to for advice about relationships. And then there was her and Hotch. The 'mommy and daddy' in the whole thing, according to JJ and Chris.

"Prentiss, can I talk to you in my office please?" Hotch called, and Emily looked up in surprise, stammering slightly, before she collected herself and stood, walking round the desk and up the stairs to Hotch's office, worrying about what was going on. She peeked through the doorway, licking her lips nervously and her stomach dropping as she saw the look of severity on his face.

"Is everything okay, Hotch?" she asked, and he sighed, standing from his seat and moving round the desk. He leaned on one side, crossing his arms over his chest. She bit her lip, closing the door behind her and copying his stance. She knew that look. "Let me guess... dinner is cancelled for tonight," she said, softly, and he scowled, not wanting it to be true, but gave the affirmative. "We have a case, don't we?"

"The bodies of five teenage girls, age eighteen and nineteen have turned up in Vegas. We just got a call about a sixth body turning up. They need us there as soon as possible," Hotch told her, and Emily pursed her lips, her head bowing and shoulders slumping. Hotch's eyes softened, and he dropped his hands to his sides. "We can rain check dinner until after the case. I'll make it up to you."

Emily laughed slightly, looking at him humourlessly. "Aaron, it an occupational hazard. Don't worry, I understand. The job comes first. We can... go for lunch in Vegas. It'll be fine," she shrugged and he stared at her, slightly disbelieving. Emily knew as well as Hotch did the drawbacks of their jobs. It didn't exactly do wonder for their social lives. In fact, it pretty much butchered them. "It's not like we won't be together. I'm still going to see you when we are in Vegas."

"You're not mad?" he questioned, and she replied 'No' as if it was obvious. She was disappointed, but she wasn't mad. Hotch was honestly slightly confused. Haley had been mad when he had cancelled with her because of his job. She didn't understand that he couldn't control it. She had divorced him because of it. A thought struck him. Emily wasn't Haley though. Emily knew the job, it was her job as well and she was right, they were still going to be together in Vegas. Chris and Reid managed to work their relationship with the job, so why couldn't they?

"Call a briefing, Aaron. We have a case," she told him softly, and he concurred, standing up straight. Emily gave him a tender look. "And don't worry about it. I'm okay with just spending time with you. It's more than any other relationship I have had," she shrugged, and she took his hand in her own, squeezing it slightly. His eyes shifted to the window, before he looked at her and pressed his lips delicately to hers.

Her stomach fluttered, and her eyes slipped shut as he deepened the kiss. She rand her hand up his arm, over his black blazer and held onto his shoulder. His hands rested on her hips, pulling her a little closer and she felt breathless, as light as air jut from his hands. Emily's entire thought process melted as she responded, as softly and deeply as he did. Hotch's aftershave tickled her nose, mix of musk and coffee, oddly tantalizing and making her feel far too much.

The kiss was simple, and reassuring. Hotch used it to make sure she knew that he was going to make it up to her, he was going to treat her like the queen she ought to be treated as. Whether it was in Vegas or Quantico. He wanted her, and in the back of his mind, he knew he always had. She pulled away, breathing heavily and smiling dazzlingly at him.

Her eyes felt heavy, and his lips were still pouted slightly, looking gloriously kissable, her red lipstick staining them. Her tongue darted out from between her lips and took in the taste of him on her lips. she really never wanted to leave his arms. That voice in the back of her mind reminded her though, that they had a case. "We have to do that case," she muttered, forlornly and he took a deep breath, composing himself as he concurred, but didn't let her go. She giggled and moved her hands to his.

"Call the meeting, Aaron. I'm still going to be here."

_-15:13pm (Virginia) 12:13pm (Las Vegas) -_

The team were piled into their jet, pouring over the files. Emily and Hotch sat side by side, opposite Reid and Chris, both couples working over the case. Reid was frowning, and he looked up from the first victims file. "Did all the victims go to Green Valley High School?" he asked, and Morgan gave the affirmative, looking up from the pictures of the victims. They were kept in their file, Morgan thinking better then to lay them out. Reid's frown deepened, and not even looking at him, Chris wound her fingers through his, and his thumb stroked over the back of her hand.

"Victim three was Casey Ryder, a cheerleader," she stated, holding up a photograph of the girl in the Gators cheerleading uniform, brown hair in a ponytail with green and blue ribbons. "She was running for homecoming queen but lost out to... Jessica Gaines. Who was victim one," Chris hummed, looking at Hotch. "Both graduated last summer."

"They were both attractive, athletic, popular, got good grades and had boyfriends who were in the athletics programme," JJ continued, as she looked at the case file for Jessica Gaines, the perky blonde posing in a picture giving the peace sign with her fingers. "We need to talk to her friends. They might know something that her family don't."

"Same with Lizzie Gray, Beth Powers and Katie Philips. All well-liked, leaders of their respective groups, attractive and smart. Lizzie was in the school orchestra, Beth was on the volleyball team and Katie was in the theatre groups. Casey was head-cheerleader and Jessica was on the track team. Jessica went missing first, then Lizzie, then Casey, followed by Beth and Katie," Morgan toned, shutting the file on the pictures what the UnSub had done to the teenagers.

"And then, Melinda Brewin. Senior, graduating at the end of this year. She's on the swim team," Rossi spoke up, a dark expression on his face. He dropped the file onto the table, disgust in his eyes. "The UnSub is taking these girls, raping them, torturing them, and then bleeding them out until they die. He's a sexual sadist, and he is patient. He waits a month between disposing of the bodies, and taking a new victim."

"Jessica Gaines was taken on the 29 August 2011. The UnSub kept her alive for a month, before he killed her and disposed of her. Then a month later, on 29 October 2011 Lizzie went missing, then Casey on the 29 December. Beth on the 29 February and Katie on 30 April. On the 30 June, Melinda was taken and then her body found this morning," Emily contributed, looking around the faces of the rest of the team.

Chris rested her head on Reid's shoulder, biting her lip. Reid squeezed her hand tightly, a pensive expression on his face, leg jigging under the table. Emily looked at him worriedly when it jostled hers. Chris's eyes widened and she raised one hand to her throat, making a slicing motion along her throat rapidly to stop her asking questions. Frowning, Emily sat back in her seat, clasping her hands in her lap and ringing her fingers.

"If the MO is anything to go by, then we should have a month before another girl goes missing. But, we don't know what our presence will force the UnSub to do. He may increase his activity, and abduct another girl sooner, or he may disappear completely and we'll never find him," Morgan stated. Chris squinted as she looked at the file that Rossi had set down, then scowled as it blurred.

She looked at Reid, who had his glasses on, and then took them from his face, putting them on. "Better," she mumbled, looking back at file. Reid blinked looking around as his vision blurred. Morgan rose and eyebrow.

"Since when did you need glasses?" he asked, and Chris looked at him, her mouth opening, before she frowned. It was Reid who answered, takign the glasses from her and putting them back on stumbling.

"The twenty-third of September, 2009. She lost her glasses two months ago. Her prescription is..." he trailed off when Chris put her hand over his mouth, narrowing her eyes. Rossi looked at her, with a frown.

"You can't be out on the field if your vision is impaired, Chris," he chastised and she rolled her eyes, giving him a pointed look, which he returned. He was looking out for her, something they all knew, but Chris wasn't going to let him take her off the case and send her back to Quantico.

"They are just reading glasses. I can cope perfectly well with everything else, it's just reading. If I wasn't allowed in the field, I wouldn't be stupid enough to risk it, okay Rossi? I wouldn't put you, or myself in that sort of danger," she argued, and he grit his teeth, as she looked away from him, putting her earphones for her i-phone in. Emily looked at JJ, who shrugged in innocent bewilderment.

Hotch felt the worrying radiate off Emily, for both Reid and Chris. Surreptitiously, he slipped his hand through hers in her lap, squeezing it calmly. She turned her head to him, a small smile on her lips, until Morgan spoke. "Wait... since when did Hotch and Prentiss hold hands?" he asked, his eyes going to JJ, and then to Emily, who bit her lip, an embarrassed smile on her face.

"Since now. Do you have a problem with this, Morgan?" Hotch asked, and Morgan rose an eyebrow before smirked and whistling, shaking his head. JJ beamed at her friend, and Emily flushed, looking down at their hands in her lap. There was a fuzzing noise, and the team looked up, as the fasten seatbelts sign appeared above their heads.

"Everyone to their seats. We're away to land," Hotch stated, effectively ending the conversation. Morgan grumbled, but sat down anyway, JJ and Rossi following suit. Reid grimaced, reaching into his pocket and pulling a packet of chewing gum out his pocket, popping some in his mouth.

He hated it when his ears popped at landing.


	8. 30 August 2012 Afternoon

**A/N: This is a Hotch/Emily story. The only difference in this from canon is that Doyle was the one who died (Morgan shot him) rather than Emily 'dying'.**

**My lord... I didn't realise that we were already on chapter eight :) Laughing to myself about how fast it's going. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, and I do hope you continue to read the story. I have no idea how long it's going to be, but with all the support you give, I'm sure it'll last. Thank you all :) Please read and review.**

**Hope you enjoy.**

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><p><strong>Alteration<strong>

_30 August 2012  
><em>_-13:23pm (Las Vegas) -_

"We should visit your mother while we're here," Chris said casually, as the team walked into the Henderson Police Department. Reid wasn't listening though, his eyes flickeing around nervously behind black sunglasses. He wore a navy cardigan with a red striped shirt and a black tie. He had on black slacks and red converses, his socks odd and his satchel strap across his chest, Glock in it's holster on his belt. Chris looked at him, worried, and clasped his hand tightly.

She wore a high-waist black pencil skirt, her shirt with long sleeves that went over her wrists and a bow at the neck. She had on black suede heels, and her Colt was on her waist, her brown hair pulled into a straight ponytail with bangs framing her face. Hotch went straight to the Chief, while Reid and Chris went to the boards that had been set up with maps and pictures of the crime scenes. Emily was setting up at desk, taking her laptop out of its case and plugging in her memory stick.

Emily was completely professional, both in her demeanour and in her clothing. Pressed black slacks, a fitted blazer and a white square-neck tee made her look all business, with black pumps. Her hair was curly, and when she stood up straight, they swished delicately. She looked at Chris, who came over beside her, hands on her hips. "Have you managed to connect with Garcia yet?" she asked, and Emily shook her head.

"I just set it up. It'll take a moment," Emily stated, and she eyed Chris, cautiously, the younger woman staring at the blue screen patiently. "So I take it you got the all clear from the Breast Clinic, right?" she questioned and Chris looked at her out the corner of her eye, and nodded slowly. Emily noticed the way she looked over to Reid, watching him carefully. "So it's not cancer? Did the Doctor tell you what it was?"

"Necrosis. Occurs when there is damage to an area of fatty breast tissue. The fat forms a lump. It should go away on its own in a few weeks. If it doesn't or get's bgger, I'll have to goin and have it removed," Chris toned, crossing her arms over her chest. A grim smile fell onto her lips and she scoffed. "Why is whenever we seem to have something good in our lives, we get a particularly horrifying case?"

Emily grit her teeth, knowing exactly what the younger woman meant. She glanced over to Hotch, who was seemingly having a serious conversation with the Chif, JJ standing next to him with her hands on her hips, nodding as she listened to what they were saying. The top layers of her blond hair were pinned back, the bottom layers lose and straight. She wore grey trousers, with dark grey heels and a fitted white shirt with pinstripes. Over it she wore a grey tank top.

Chris looked at her watch, having adopted the habit of wearing it over her sleeve like Reid. Emily rose her eyebrows. How long did you have to be in a persons company, and how intimate do you have to be, before you start developing habits and mannerisms like them?

"Agent Reid, I want you and JJ to go to the high school and talk to the victims friends, to their homes as well. They may know something the families did not, any secret boyfriends or activities that the victims had or were part of. Find out. They are more likely to talk to you two as you are closer to their age," Hotch stated, walking over to them with JJ in toe, and Chris rose her eyebrows, looking bewildered for a moment. She was thirty. She hadn't been nineteen in eleven years.

"Yes Sir," she concurred, not arguing the point though. It was stuffy in the station, she would honestly prefer not having to keep looking at the board. The pictures were brutal of the victims, pinned up on the wall, and honestly, how nervous and edgy Reid was? She was only going to get worked up herself and when they both got worked up, it was never good. She looked over at Reid for a moment, and then back at Hotch.

"We'll call you with any information," Chris stated. Hotch watched her and JJ leave, before turning to Emily. He didn't have the chance to speak, when Reid came over to them, looking at a notepad with numerical dates on the paper.

"The UnSub is only abducting his victims at the end of even numbered months. He keeps them for the odd months, and the kills them at the first day of the next even month. He only kills and abducts on even numbered months," Reid told them, rambling slightly and Emily frowned, furrowing her eyebrows. She stared at Hotch sharply, who had a grave look on his face.

"That sounds like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder," Emily stated, and Reid's head bobbed rapidly. Her eyes widened, and she gaped at Hotch. "If he's right, then the UnSub will have to kill again. His obsession won't let him not kill. Which means that and other girl will go missing within a month."

"We have to find the UnSub before that happens," Hotch declared, his tone gravelly. Emily sucked on her bottom lip, thinking hard as Reid rubbed his neck, feeling the need for coffee creep up on him. Excusing himself, he went in the search of the coffee machine, finding it in a small closed off kitchen. With a shaky hand, he flicked on the coffee maker, running his hands through his messy hair. He didn't notice Emily coming up behind him, her eyes worried.

"Are you okay, Reid?" she asked, and he jumped, spinning and staring at her with wide, shadowed eyes. He nodded, saying 'I'm fine' quickly, turning back to the coffee maker and grabbing a cardboard cup. Emily cocked her head to the side. "Are you sure? Because I am here for you to talk to, if you want, Reid. I want to help..."

"I don't need a mother. I already have one, so stop trying and leave me alone. I can look after myself, I don't need any help," he snapped. Emily gaped at him, hurt evident in her expression before she shut her mouth. She nodded her head curtly. The décor of the small room seemed to reflect the tension in Reid, with grey walls, and off-white blinds over a window allowing the rest of the office to be seen from the kitchen.

A door on the cabinets nailed to the wall, holding spare Styrofoam cups, coffee and sugar, was loose, hanging at a slant, with papers and pictures of peoples families stuck onto the cupboards and held with magnets on the fridge. The linoleum flooring was patterned with black diamonds and on the surface of the counters, there were several coffee stains and rings.

"I wasn't trying to be your mother, Reid. We're friends," she calmly declared, keeping her temper in check. He scoffed, tapping his foot as he poured himself a coffee, pouring the sugar straight from the bag into the cup and stirring it rapidly. She licked her lips. "If you want to be this way, then fine. I'll call Chris," she stated, playing the trump card. He looked at her, darkly as she pulled her phone of her belt.

"Just leave it alone, Prentiss. Chris doesn't have anything to do with it. It's none of your business," Reid told her, pushing past her and heading back to the board. Emily exhaled and shook her head.

_-15:05pm (Las Vegas)-_

Chris looked at the blond girl opposite her, in tears and sobbing while JJ had her arm around her shoulders. "She was my best friend! And... and... the things they did to her... it's just not fair... If I had been with her... he might not have taken her..." the girl wailed, covering her red, blotchy face with her hands. Chris's hazel eyes caught JJ's blue ones, and she grimaced, before reachign over and taking the girls hands in her.

A soft look fell onto her features, motherly, and she gave her a patient smile. "Millie, I understand that this is hard for you, I do. But I need you to tell me if there was anyone in Katie's life that she didn't tell her parents about. A boyfriend, perhaps older than you, in college, or just graduated?" Chris questioned, and Millie sniffed, stammering, her eyes raw as she tried to think.

"Um... I... I can't remember..." Millie stumbled. She bit her lip, before her eyes widened and eyebrows rose, as she had a sudden realisation. "Yes! She was dating this guy... er... Jake. Jake Rosen... He moved here about two years ago with his family..."

JJ turned to Chris sharply, and she held up a hand, a knowing expression on her face. "Thank you so much, Millie. You have been a great help. We'll leave you in peace to get cleaned up," she told Millie and the girl sniffed, wiping her nose on the sleeve of her cheerleading uniform. JJ and Chris stood from the seats they were in on the bleachers of Green Valley High School's football pitch, making their way to the stairs to get off the metal contraption.

"That's the third time we've heard the name Brock Rosen," JJ stated, as they walked towards the school, and Chris murmured in agreement. "Do you think it could be him doing this? I mean so far he's dated Katie Philips, Beth Powers and Melinda Brewin. Its pretty suspicious that he dated them, and then they just happened to disappear after they broke up and turn up dead a month later."

"I know. Call Garcia to get her to run a background check. I'll get the school files on them," Chris stated, and JJ was already pulling her phone out her pocket, as they split up, Chris walking toward the school reception and JJ toward the black SUV they used to go place to place. The tone rang for a few moments before there was click on the other end and Garcia's chirpy, happy voice called out to her.

"Hello, this is the goddess of the most awesome thing in the universe, anything you need to know, I already do know. What can I do you for, sugar-lips?" Garcia sang, and JJ laughed, leaning against the SUV. Garcia grinned, her fingers moving along her keyboard to an almost musical beat.

"I need you to run a background check for me," JJ stated, and Garcia groaned good-naturedly, before she perked up again, asking 'Name, please?' playfully. "A man named Brock Rosen. He dated three of our victims so far. Chris and I think he might have a link to the UnSub," JJ explained and Garcia hummed, saying 'Dirty boy, he gets around...' with a giggly tone. JJ chuckled under her breath, rolling her eyes.

"Oh... well I found your boy, Jayje... although that's exactly what he is. A boy. He's only nineteen years old, lives with his older brother at 544 Forest Ridge Street. Just graduated with honours, really smart and was a football player. His daddy died five years ago. Heart attack. Mother died during childbirth, poor sweetheart. His brother is called Hayden Lynch. They have different Momma's. According to this, before his dad's death, he moved every two years from the age of two," Garcia hummed, and JJ thanked her, away to hang up when she saw Chris coming back, with arms full of files, when Garcia stopped her.

"Wait... have you seen any smoking hot strippers yet? Cause I will need pictures of them... Derek can only be so much," Garcia joked and JJ laughed out loud, saying 'Goodbye, Garcia' with a friendly tone. "Oh come on! Please, just take some pictures. Just a couple. For me. I'll love you forever," Garcia pleaded into her headpeice, only to hear JJ's giggling and hanging up. She pouted. "Aww, phooey."

JJ rose her eyebrows, eyeing the files that Chris held. "What did you do, get their entire school records?" she asked, and Chris nodded, as if it was obvious. JJ looked at her blankly, before she exhaled heavily. "Lets get to the station, tell Hotch what we got. Then, we can start looking through those files," she stated, and she grimaced at the though of the hours it was going to take.

Chris rolled her eyes, dumping the files in the back seat before strapping into the front passenger seat, JJ driving. "Rossi and Morgan should be back at the station by now from seeing the families. Maybe they will have something else for us, other than just the name of this guy. Did Garcia tell you anything about him?" Chris asked, as JJ pulled out the parking space, and onto the street.

The blond reiterated what Garcia had told her, and Chris clouded up, covering her mouth and looking out the window at the passing scenery. "Who's working on the profile?" she asked, and JJ responded 'Hotch and Emily'. Chris uttered something, furrowing her eyebrows. She looked back out the window. "So Spencer's doing victimology," she murmured. JJ peered at her out the corner of her eye, but then turned back at the road.

"What's getting to you, Chris? Both you and Spence. You're snapping and he's... bouncing. It all points to a problem in the home, or your marriage, but we know you too well to think that's what it is. That and the fact we all saw your incredibly public make out session back in Quantico. So what is going on?" JJ questioned. Chris licked her lips, apprehensively, wondering what to tell JJ.

"Spencer used to go to Green Valley," Chris finally told her, and JJ began to understand. "You know those situations, in which you just revert back to that awkward, teenage self you were in high school? Or at the worst moments of your life? Being here is like that for Spencer," Chris articulated. JJ pursed her lips, looking at the road. She had been popular in high school. She didn't know what Reid had gone through, but she knew it was bad.

He had been a twelve year old genius in a school of hormonal, ignorant teenagers who probably only cared about themselves. It obvious that it hadn't been a happy experience for him, and she could understand why it would put him on edge so much being back here.

_-16:12pm (Las Vegas) - _

Reid splashed his face with cold water, trying to calm himself. In the four hours they had been in Las Vegas, that feeling of panic hadn't left him once. That feeling that something was going to happen, something bad, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He leaned on the counter with his elbows, hands in his hair as he stared into the white porcelain sink, before squeezing them shut. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't hear the door opening to the men's toilets.

"If it isn't little Spency Reid," a chilling voice drawled, and Reid's eyes shot open, standing up straight and spinning on the heel of his converses. He gripped the counter top, swallowing as he looked at the smirking face of Brock Deuce. Instantly, his mind took back to that day, and the humiliation of it all, being stripped naked and tricked came back to him, causing him to flush in shame and tense.

He was as big as ever, taller than Reid's height of 6'1 at 6'3. It was obvious that the years hadn't been as 'good' to Deuce as they had on Reid, but then again, Brock was six years older than Reid. His eyes had crows feet at them, and heavy bags, and there was the beginnings of a pot belly under his Nevada State Police Uniform. He leaned against the door, with his arms crossed and a malicious gleam in his eyes.

"It's been a while," he sneered, and Reid concurred, staying silent. He'd been through torture, several gun-shots, a hospitalisation because of anthrax and a drug addiction, but for some reason, this man scared him more than all of that put together. "Saw that little wife of yours. She's a real fine-looking woman, isn't she? What the hell is she doing with a scrawny ass like you? Can't be too bright if she didn't go for a real man."

Reid opened his mouth, only for it to snap shut again when someone exited the toilet stalls. If there was someone who could terrify him more than Deuce, it was the other man, his eyes literally glowing in dark delight at having Reid cornered. Harlow Woodroffe was shorter than Reid, at 5'11, but far more menacing. He, unlike Deuce, obviously hadn't indulged himself over the years and kept to the strict training that Green Valley required of it's athletes, most specifically, their Green Valley Gators, the football team.

He was broad, strong and had arms like tree trunks, straining against the sleeves of his uniform. The grin on his face was more predatory than welcoming, and Reid pushed himself into the counter as much as possible, wishing he was anywhere other than that toilet.

"What do we have here? It's our own little boy genius, Deuce. God... haven't seen you in nearly twenty years. It's so good to see you, Spency," Woodroffe asserted, but his tone was anything but pleasant. He placed his hand on Reid's shoulder, and Reid visibly winced, his eyes widening as Woodroffe gripped onto his shoulder tightly. "Really good, in fact. Been meaning to get in touch with you at some point."

Reid yelped, his knees nearly going from under him as Woodroffe's thumb started to dig under his collar bone. Deuce chuckled at the door, watching intently. "Is it not good to see us as well, Spency? I mean, really, you might hurt our feelings," Woodroffe snarled and Reid's face twitched in pain. "Maybe you're wanting to be as well acquainted with these toilets as the ones you were back at Green Valley, right Spency?"

"No... its great to see you..." Reid whimpered, and Woodroffe smirked, before throwing Reid to the ground. He sprawled out on the floor, on his back and propped up on his elbows. He rubbed his head, were it had hit the wall and stared up at Woodroffe fearfully. Woodroffe chuckled, and stood up straight, staring down at Reid.

"Still the same as you were back then. Pathetic, weak, snivelling coward," he snarled. Reid shuddered, and Woodroffe shook his head, before looking at Deuce. "Let's go, we have work to do," he stated, and Deuce nodded one, moving away from the door and holding it for Woodroffe before following him out, spitting at Reid before he did. Reid trembled, his elbows collapsing under him. He lay on the floor, and stared at the panneled ceiling.

He wasn't sure how long he was there, when Morgan came to the doorway looking in and raising an eyebrow. "Uh, Reid? Is this some sort of new genius thing? Cause I gotta say, it's the weirdest one yet, kid, and the most disgusting," Morgan said, and Reid gazed up at him, looking right through him. Morgan held out his hand to help Reid up, and he batted it away, sitting up on his own and pulling himself shakily to his feet.

"Okay... look, Hotch is ready to give the profile, so we have to be out there," Morgan stated and Reid acknowledged him, looking in the mirror at his reflection, shakily. Morgan scowled. "Are you okay, Reid? You're acting weirder than normal," he claimed, and Reid gave him a smile, lips going into a thin line as he pulled them into his mouth.

"I'm fine... Just thinking, you know? It was to warm in there," he responded and Morgan narrowed his eyes, before allowing Reid to keep whatever was bothering him to himself, dropping his arm around his shoulders. Reid flinched slightly, backing away from Morgan and Morgan held up his hands in surrendering motion.

"You coming, kid?" Morgan asked, and Reid concurred.

"I'll just be a minute," Reid told him, and once again Morgan's eyebrows furrowed, before he shrugged and said 'alright', leaving Reid alone in the toilet. Reid turned into the counter and held onto it, his knuckles turning white as he squeezed his eyes shut, paralysed. Tears slipped from his eyes before he could stop them, and furiously he wiped them away, his lip trembling. He took a deep breath, staring at his reflection and glared at it, darkly. He spun, when there was a knock on the door.

"Spencer... it's Chris... Derek said there was something wrong. Is it okay if I come in?" she queried, her tone soft and the same one she used when talking to James. Of course Morgan would tell Chris there was something wrong. That man just couldn't keep something to himself. He wasn't given a chance to answer when she came in anyway, her head cocked to the side and her eyes patient.

She walked up to him, and ran her eyes over him, starting at his feet and working her way up his body to her face. Her hand came up to his cheek and he recoiled, causing her to 'ah', and then adjust his collar instead, and straightening his tie. He felt relief that she was questioning him, as she took his hand in hers. "Come on, Spencer. We have a profile to deliver."

Chris didn't mention how tightly he was holding onto her hand, nor how tormented his eyes were when she had looked into them, or the fact that she could easily see he had been crying.


	9. 30 August 2012 Evening

**A/N: This is a Hotch/Emily story. The only difference in this from canon is that Doyle was the one who died (Morgan shot him) rather than Emily 'dying'.**

**My lord... I didn't realise that we were already on chapter eight :) Laughing to myself about how fast it's going. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, and I do hope you continue to read the story. I have no idea how long it's going to be, but with all the support you give, I'm sure it'll last. Thank you all :) Please read and review.**

**Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

><p><strong>Alteration<strong>

_30 August 2012  
><em>_-17:26pm (Las Vegas)-_

"The person we are looking for is a White Caucasian male, between the age of forty and forty-five. This person is organised, and very well-learned in his method of torture. Because of this, we believe he may have experience in a medical field, possibly a medical school drop-out. It is possible he also has a military background, given his organisation and his ability to control his impulses when he has his victims," Hotch started the profile, looking out at the room of officers, taking notes as he spoke. Emily stepped forward, continuing.

"We believe there is a high chance that he will have Obsessive Compulsive disorder, due to the fact he is only able to abduct and kill his victims within an even month of the year. He follows a strict routine, and if it was broken, we believe he would go into a frenzy," she told them, pacing the floor slowly, meeting each and every one of the officers eyes.

"His targets suggest that he is a weak man, small and with low confidence levels, most likely rejected by a female that was seen as higher social status than him. This is further enforced by the fact that he starts his torture by raping his victims, enforcing himself on them in an attempt to prove his masculinity to himself and his victims."

"The UnSub is also a sexual sadist. He derives pleasure from torturing his victims, and while it is not the only way he can get a release, it is the most effective way. His torture is methodical. He is able to keep them alive for long periods of time, despite the torture. It is probable that he will have several charges on his record for animal abuse, exhibitionist behaviour and violence against children and women," Chris gestured with her left hand, sitting on the corner of a table with Reid on the edge, holding her other hand behind her back.

"This person will live in the area, most likely someone that prefers to stay out of way, avoids conflict and seems insignificant. He will be hesitant to let people in his home, and will keep to himself when out. He watches his victims and learns their routines before he takes them. This is what he takes the month before abducting a new victim to do. This means he will be able to take the victim at a time in which she is alone, and relaxed as she does it everyday," Rossi interrupted, coming to the front.

"The UnSub will take another victim as he is unable to not. If he does not carry out the compulsion, he will eventually go on a spree and kill anyone he can to fulfil this need to torture and kill. It is probable, that he has already chosen his next target," Rossi finished. He dismissed the officers, turning to the team. "This profile will have to be released to the school. It's important that the girls know what they are supposed to be on the look out for."

JJ concurred. "I have already got in touch with the Headmaster. He's organising an assembly for first thing tomorrow morning. All the female students will be attending it," she told him, and Rossi hummed, rubbing his jaw for a moment. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he fished it out, answering calmly.

"Rossi? I have something I think you all need to know," Garcia's voice, slightly panicked quickly spoke on the other end, and Rossi furrowed his eyebrows, before putting her on speaker phone with the rest of the team, holding his phone up so they could listen. "Okay, so I was doing some background, you know? Checking for any related cases that were like this. I wasn't finding anything else in Vegas, so I widened my search."

Garcia moved around her desk, on her headset as she quickly bought up the files on her screens, closing her eyes at the images. No matter how bright and cheerful she was, seeing this was enough to nearly break her down to tears. "Anyway, I went back for the last twenty years, searching every state record, figuring you know, I might as well seeing as the age range of the UnSub and all."

"What did you find, Garcia," Hotch questioned, and Garcia tutted impatiently, causing Hotch to exhale sharply and pinch the bridge of his nose. "Please, Garcia, tell us what you found," he reworded, and Emily bit her lip to stop herself smiling, placing her hand softly on his arm. Garcia grinned to herself, before continuing.

"So, it turns out that Vegas? Not the first place this guy has hit. He has killed in eight other major cities, over a time period of fourteen months and always killed eight victims. Including the victims that have been found where you are... there have been a total of sixty two victims," Garcia told them, and Chris paled, inhaling sharply before looking at Rossi, who's expression was dark. "For the last nineteen years and six months. He kills for fourteen months, takes a year-long hiatus and then starts killing again in a new city and a new state."

"That's why he's been getting along with it for so long. Because no one thought to connect the deaths because they are in different cities, and different states," Reid added, and Garcia hummed the affirmative. "What were the cities he targeted?" He moved from the group, over the the map of America stuck to the board with a frown. He picked up a small box of pins, as Garcia told them.

"Columbia, South Carolina," she stated and Reid stuck a pin in the board, as she continued. "Then Atlanta, Georgia, followed by Birmingham, Alabama and Jackson, Mississippi. He then hit Monroe, Louisiana, Austin, Texas and Roswell, New Mexico before he was in Phoenix, Arizona before he came to Vegas. However get this, he took a four year break between Phoenix and Vegas."

"We need to get their case files," Hotch mentioned, and Garcia tutted, responding 'Already on it'. Hotch nodded once, before looking over at Reid who was staring at the board, trying to identify a pattern in the way the UnSub travelled. "DO you know when they will get here?"

"Should be there by Friday, sir," Garcia replied, and Rossi said 'Two days' with a scowl. Garcia glared on her end, even though he couldn't see her. "Unfortunately, sir. They have to find all the files and documentation and then have them sorted for delivery. It's not quick pick-and-drop job, sweetheart. Takes forever to sort hard copies of these files out."

"Thank you, Garcia. We'll call you if we need anything," Rossi told her. Morgan interrupted with a 'bye beautiful', causing Garcia to giggle on the other end and respond 'later sweet-cheeks'. Rossi shook his head in amusement and ended the call, pocketing his phone. Chris rolled her eyes, and gave Morgan a pointed look then went over to stand next to Reid eyeing the board with a less interested look than the one Reid had.

Seeing them standing around, the Chief came over, running his hand over the top of his head. "Ain't no use in you lot just standing around here. Go get some dinner, freshen up and get some rest. I'll call you in if anything happens," he pushed them. Emily smiled thankfully. They were four hours ahead of the time in Vegas. For them, it was actually like 22:00pm, rather than 18:00pm. Normally by this time, Emily was sitting, with a book and a glass of wine, starting to wind down.

"Thank you, Chief," Hotch stated, and the Chief just smiled tightly, saying 'It's no problem' and leaving the group to themselves. Morgan left first, deciding that he was seriously hungry and in need of some good old fast food. Rossi left after him, tired and in desperate need of a glass of scotch, his hotel room and some time with his laptop to start work on his next book. JJ left to call Will and Henry then go back to the Hampton Inn & Suites, where they were staying.

Morgan and Hotch were sharing a room, and Emily and JJ, while Chris and Reid were in their own room and Rossi in his own room. The main reason was that Rossi paid for his room, while the others all had rooms on the BAU's budget.

"Do you want to get dinner? I heard one of the cops mentioning a place called the Rose Garden Restaurant. Apparently the food is pretty good. Best in down-town Henderson," Emily questioned, looking at Hotch cautiously. He had been brooding, arms crossed over his chest as he glared holes into the floor under his feet. His head snapped up, his features softening when he saw the hopeful, yet concerned look in her eyes. "Do you?"

"I'd love to."

_-19:15pm-_

Emily laughed loudly, when she suddenly snorted. She stopped laughing instantly, covering her mouth in embarrassment, her cheeks red. Hotch rose an eyebrow, but grinned at her as he ate his chicken chow mien. "I'm sorry... but there is no way I can believe you actually did that in High School. It's just... so not you, Aaron," she declared, shaking her head in amusement.

"I was a different person to who I am now. I did things which were much more... risky back then," he told her, and she just looked at him, raising an eyebrow. Hotch admired her, the clear happiness that was in her eyes and the way she seemed to light up with it. She looked soft, warm and he liked to see her that way. She was different from when they were working. She was forced to be emotionally-distant when they were on a case, almost cold. Seeing her in this light, happy and relaxed. It almost made up for all the strain that he felt when he saw her working.

"Oh, I know all about that. Trust me," she said, her tone playful. Under the table her leg bobbed and she lifted some of her egg noodles from their bowl into her mouth, savouring the taste of them. Not able to stop herself, she closed her eyes in delight, moaning under her breath as she chewed them. Hotch's mind suddenly flashed, and all he could see was an image of her under him, hair splayed over a pillow back arched as she moaned.

He felt her fingers scratching into his shoulders, the marks still there from that night four days ago. Hotch breathed heavily, and shook his head to clear the thoughts, bringing a hand to his neck and rubbed it. She cocked her head to the side, watching him curiously. "You okay?" she questioned innocently, and he gave the affirmative, giving her a half-smile to ease her nerves. She smiled back and reached for her white wine, taking a sip of it daintily.

"Emily... do you remember anything from that night in LA?" he asked, broaching the subject carefully and she choked slightly, coughing into her hand. His eyes widened, reaching to help her, and she held up a hand, croaking 'I'm fine'. She took a long gulp of her wine and then a deep breath, not having expected the question."I didn't mean to shock you," he apologised and she just chuckled.

"It's fine, Aaron. I just wasn't expecting the question. Not sure why I wasn't, if I was remembering things, it would be obvious that you might be as well," she admitted. Emily shrugged, fiddling with her chopsticks and looking at her plate. "I remember stumbling into the hotel after a sixth round of shots, and being unable to open my door. You, somehow, managed to get your open and we fell, literally, into your room."

His head bobbed slowly, a thoughtful expression on his face. Emily flushed, her eyes ghosting over his face, taking in the rigid lines and brooding brow. "That's all I remember, pretty much, apart from... flashes of what came after," she told him, cheeks burning and the corner of his mouth tilted upwards. He remembered bits of that as well. For two incredibly drunk people, they had been surprisingly... energetic in their coupling.

"Yeah, that was good," he growled and she bit her lip at the rumble of his voice, her stomach fluttering at the way it took on an almost husky tone vibrating around her. The skin on her arms got goose-pimples and Emily felt herself melting slightly. She tightened her hold on her chopsticks at the hooded look that his eyes had. Deciding that ratehr than continue on that train of thought, she changed the subject.

"This is good. I haven't had Chinese food in a while," she told him, and Hotch blinked rapidly, before shaking himself visibly and agreeing. She finished her orange chicken, and then set down her chopsticks, leaning back in her chair. Emily was stuffed. She hadn't ate that well in months. Hotch eyed her, before chuckling. Emily was like a proud cat, stretching with a smug look on her face. "I love good food..."

"You can tell," Hotch said, and she giggled, rubbing her stomach. Good food, really _good_ food, put her in a good mood. Always. Hotch eyed her before becoming serious. "The victims, have you managed to discern any other like between them other than Green Valley High School?" he asked, and Emily leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. There was a pensive expression on her face.

"They were all in shape, well-liked and leading in the activities they participated. The girls were all smart. They wouldn't have let themselves be taken willingly, unless they knew the UnSub," Emily said, resting her chin on her hand. He dipped his head, eyebrows lowering over his eyes in that mediating expression he got when he was thinking. Emily ran her thum over her bottom lip, singign under her breath as she thought. "Actually, Chris did say something about a boy that all the girls dated."

"Brock Rosen. Do you think the UnSub could be using him to get close to the victims? If he dates them for the month before they are abducted, that gives him plenty of time to learn their routines. They wouldn't suspect him because they trust him," Hotch spoke, and Emily nodded, but then frowned, shaking her head in confusion. "You don't think he could be doing this?"

"It doesn't fit. Brock Rosen according to his file is like the victims, popular, smart. He's going to the University of Advancing Technology in Arizona in the fall on a football scholarship. Why would he kill his girlfriends? He doesn't fit the profile. Brock isn't even in the right age range or the right ethnicity," Emily pointed out. "He'd be going backwards. The UnSub has already been to Arizona. It's wouldn't make sense."

Hotch scowled and Emily gazed at him, before reaching over and taking his hand in hers, squeezing it gently. His eyes flicked down to their wound fingers, and his lips turned up slightly. "Let's just... take a break from thinking about it, alright? I'm still on Virginia timing, and I'm exhausted," she said, and as if to prove her point, she yawned widely, covering her mouth with her free hand and squeezing her eyes shut.

He chuckled and gave her a tender look, his dark eyes glowing and she licked her lips, beaming at him. Hotch leaned over the table, and pressed his lips to hers, causing her to laugh slight and cup his cheek with her right and, slipping her left around his neck as she pressed her lips to his in fleeting, butterfly kisses. They were teasingly quick, giving him a second of pleasure before taking it away again just as quick.

Emily's heart pounded in her chest and Emily could hear her blood rushing around her body in her ears as her nerves all sparked. She wanted more.. oh so much more... but she was trying to take it slow. Emily wasn't away to rush into this, not when she knew how badly it could turn out if it crashed and burned. However, she had the fleeting idea that even if is did crash and burn, Hotch would still be there at the end of it to pick up the pieces.

Hotch pulled away from her, a dazzling grin on his face as she fiddled with his tie. Then, completely ruining the moment, she gave an alight yawn, falling back seat and covering her face with her hands. He genuinely cracked up, a loud laugh causing him to shake slightly.

"Come on. Let's get to the hotel. You need a good nights sleep if you are going to be working on the case tomorrow," he stated, and the undercurrent of fondness was easily noticed in his voice, despite the fact that he worded it like her boss. Emily guessed that when they were on a case he never did really switch off and he would always be that way. She couldn't fault him. When they were on a case, he was first and foremost her boss in her mind, before he was her... something.

That was just the way it had to be. They couldn't afford for it not to be that way.

_-00:57am-_

Emily's eyes opened, her chest heaving. She was too hot. The room was just too hot, despite the air conditioner buzzing around her. She kicked the heavy quilts of her form, taking large gasping breaths as she gripped the mattress tightly. Glancing over at JJ, she saw the woman had no discomfort with how she was feeling, snuggled up completely in her blanket, blond hair peeking out from the roll she had created around herself. JJ was an official blanket hogger.

Remembering that she had seen an ice machine down the hall on the second floor, Emily swung her legs over the edge of the bed, wiping her forehead on the back of her hand. She felt around for her slippers and then put them on, before lifting her room key of the bedside table. Emily glanced over at JJ again, doing a quick sweep of the room for any possible threats.

Emily didn't like leaving the room in the dark. Especially when she hadn't been there before. After making sue there was no dangers, she left the room, the lock clicking shut behind her. The hallway was completely dead, the walls painted cream and blinding under the low light from above her head. The carpet was cream, with small black dots on it, and the corridor was completely deserted other than her. She was grateful, because she was only wearing a white tank top and black shorts, with fluffy white slippers.

It was completely quiet, and unconsciously, she took the stairs rather than the elevator to the second floor. It was only a floor below and for some reason she felt safer on the stairs than in an elevator. Idly, she wondered if maybe she should have picked up her Glock from her bedside table before she had left, then berated herself for being so over-paranoid.

The sound of ice dropping caused her to pause, and stopped at the corner, looking around to the large blue machine to see the shape of Chris under the light. Emily snorted when she saw that Chris was wearing the shirt Reid had been wearing that day, and his converses. The shirt was just long enough to cover her underwear, and she was sucking her right thumb, propping her elbow with her other arm.

"Hey, you're up late," she called and Chris jumped, spinning turning to Emily sharply. Then her rigid form softened and she smiled tiredly at Emily. Emily came up beside her, eyeing the ice falling from the machine into a large cup before looking back at Chris. She leaned against the wall next to it, crossing her arms as she eyed Chris, looking her head to toe in amusement. Chris flushed.

"I haven't been to sleep yet, actually. Something was bothering Spencer and... you know," she told her. The younger woman voice was weary, and Emily nodded, giving her a supportive glance as the last bit of ice dropped and the machine buzzed, sounding that it was finished. Chris reached out and took it, pulling a piece of ice from the cup and putting it in her mouth, crunching down on it while Emily took a cup from the selection of cups offered. She placed it under the ice dispenser and clicked 'half-cup'. The machine whirred to like and began to drop ice slowly into the cup.

Emily bit her lip and gazed at Chris. "This is going to seem weird... but... can I ask you something?" she asked. Chris furrowed her eyebrows, before she acquiesced, eyeing Emily and copying her previous stance of leaning against the wall. Emily rubbed her arm, wondering how to approach it, before just going for it. "When did you and Reid first have sex?" she blurted out, and Chris coughed, setting her cup down on the side next to the ice machine. "I'm sorry... I mean, how long after you got together did you first have sex?"

"You want to know... about my sex life?" she questioned rhetorically, before she thought to herself, and then chuckled. "You and Hotch. You want to know what a time frame would be for you two having sex? Which, by the way, in my head is gross," she stated, and Emily chuckled, but concurred. "Six months and fifteen days. Just after Gideon disappeared. Spencer was upset and I didn't know what to do."

"Six months? That's... wow..." Emily stumbled and Chris laughed airily. "Why did you wait so long?" Emily asked, and Chris rose her eyebrows, before shrugging her shoulders, running a hand through her hair. The machine buzzed, but Emily ignored it, more interested in what Chris was away to say.

"Spencer isn't a physical person to begin with. And me... don't do well with people touching me unless I really know them and trust them. As bad as it sounds, there are still times now that I don't trust Spencer. So sex was a big deal for us. It was the all or nothing of our relationship. It'll be different for you," Chris told her, and Emily nodded slowly, understanding what Chris was saying. Chris yawned drowsily.

"Go to bed, Chris. We have to be up early in the morning," Emily pushed, and Chris gave into it, too tired to argue. She lifted her cup of ice, which had started melting already, and bid Emily goodnight, heading for the elevator. Emily lifted some ice from her cup, putting it under her tongue and savouring the coolness, closing her eyes happily. Then she groaned, staring at the ceiling.

Six months? That was going to be a long wait...


	10. 31 August 2012 Afternoon

**A/N: This is a Hotch/Emily story. The only difference in this from canon is that Doyle was the one who died (Morgan shot him) rather than Emily 'dying'.**

**Okay, oops... The character Jake Rosen is actually called Brock Rosen. I got mixed up :( Sorry for all who were confused. It's Jake Deuce. And YAY! We have totally reached 40 reviews :) Lets see if we can get to 50 yeah? :) **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Alteration<strong>

_31 August 2012  
><em>_-10:56pm (Las Vegas)-_

Chris flipped her hair over her shoulder, eyebrow raised as she watched obvious male posturing from behind the rim of her coffee. She leaned against a desk in their section of the precinct, wearing a white pencil skirt with a beige ribbed tank top tucked into it, under a cream, button-less cardigan and bow front cream stilettos. The innocence of the outfit was rather marred by the Colt in it's holster on her waist and her badge next to it. She rose her free hand to play with her locket, and her eyes flicked over to JJ, who had the same amused look on her face that Chris did.

"Is it just me, or do these men seem to never be around women? Because they are far too distracted by our presence," she muttered, and JJ concurred, rolling her eyes at the officer's obvious attempts to attract their attention. The blonds hair was curled, falling in waves around her face, light and airy. She wore a pair of dark grey trousers, with a crisp white shirt underneath a black shawl and black pumps. She turned so her back was to the officers, a small smirk on her lips.

"Tell me about it. You'd think they had never even realised women exist. Although... there aren't actually any women in this building other than us," JJ replied, keeping her voice low. It was true. Other than them, the entire building was filled with men. They were like an forest in a desert. Extremely out of place. "Emily is lucky she got to go with Hotch to get this Brock Rosen. I don't think I can stand all this testosterone."

Chris snorted with laughter, shaking her head in amusement. It was true though. If there was one thing obvious in the officers behaviour, it was that they were all seeming to be in competition with one another, trying to outdo each other. Morgan and Rossi had gone to visit the families of the victims, Hotch and Emily were off getting Brock Rosen and Reid seemed to have wandered for somewhere in the precinct. They were stuck waiting for the files to arrive from the other precincts in the cities that the UnSub had hit previously. JJ had already been to the school to deliver the profile to the girls, warning them about who to avoid and how to protect themselves. The press conference was scheduled for later that day.

"Do you ever feel like this job requires us to spend far too much time waiting for something?" Chris asked, and JJ exhaled heavily, saying 'All the time' in response. Unbidden, her blue eyes went to the boards and she frowned. 62 girls... all starting out in the world, ready for the next phases of their lives and then brutally murdered before they could go out and make their mark. "It could have been us..."

JJ's eyes widened, and she looked at Chris. The brunette shook her head. "Eleven years ago I was in Louisiana. I was touring it as celebration of the end of high school. I ended up Monroe, crashed in a hotel. I was on my own, no one would have even noticed if I had gone missing. The only reason I left was because aunt went into hospital," Chris admitted, and JJ rose her eyebrows, as Chris chuckled humorlessly to herself. "And you told me that you went Atlanta with your friends from Pittsburgh, sixteen years ago."

"You remember me telling you that?" JJ asked and Chris nodded. JJ stared at the younger woman with . "You're right though... Just a couple of months, a couple of days... we could have been victims. But we weren't, and we need to catch this guy, for the people who did end up his targets," JJ declared, and her eyes took on a determined gleam, her free fist clenching as she thought about it. They would catch this UnSub. They had to.

Reid stirred his coffee rapidly, looking over his shoulder every other second to make sure there was no one behind him. He inhaled sharply, when he saw Woodroffe standing in the doorway. "It's a fine morning, Doctor Reid, isn't it?" Woodroffe sneered and Reid nodded rapidly, dropping his stirrer into the bin and wondering how to get out. The blinds were closed, and Woodroffe was blocking the doorway.

"I have to go... I have work to do..." he mumbled, looking everywhere other than Woodroffe. The largely built man grinned darkly, taking a step into the room and kicking the door shut behind him. Reid backed up, gripping his coffee tightly. His eyes were wide, and terrified as Woodroffe crossed his arms.

"Well, now, that just ain't polite, _Doctor_. Hows about I teach you some manners," he growled and Reid yelped when Woodroffe took hold of his tie and yanked him hard, sending him to the ground. His coffee spilled onto him, and Reid hissed as the hot liquid soaked through his grey shirt, scalding the skin underneath. Woodroffe chuckled, and the grabbed his wrist, dragging him up to his knees. Reid trembled, all words escaping him as Woodroffe twisted his arm.

"Now that seems like it hurts, little Spency. Wouldn't want you to have to go around with a stained shirt, would we? Best take it off, wouldn't want that sort of humiliation," Woodroffe growled into his ear and Reid's eyes squeezed shut as he flashed back to being twelve years old, completely helpless as the jocks stripped him naked and tied him up in front of everyone.

Approaching footsteps caused Woodroffe to look up, and then let go off Reid. His demeanour instantly changed, becoming calm and collected, almost concerned as he looked at Reid. "Hey man, you okay?" he asked, just as Chris walked in, her cup empty. She paused at the sight of Reid on the floor, shirt messed up and stained, and a worried Woodroffe standing over him. Woodroffe looked at her, smiling pleasantly which she just ignored, going over to Reid and bending down next to him.

"Are you okay, Spencer?" she asked, and he looked at her, before at Woodroffe, who narrowed his eyes in a dangerous looking glare. Reid quickly bobbed his head, assuring her he was fine and she furrowed her eyebrows, brushing his now slightly longer bangs from his forehead gently. "Are you sure?" she said softly, and he scrambled to his feet, ignoring the question.

"We have to work on the case," he said quickly, and Chris furrowed her eyebrows, apprehensive as he brushed off her gaze and strode from the kitchen. Chris was still bent down at the knee, and Woodroffe held out a hand to help her to her feet, still smiling at her politely. She felt slightly creeped by it, but apprehensively accepted his hand. He pulled her to her feet and she quickly dropped his hand, brushing off her skirt. She stared at the spilt coffee and sighed sadly, before looking at Woodroffe.

"Agent Charissa Reid," she introduced herself, and Woodroffe froze for a moment, before he grinned widely and shook her hand, saying 'Is that so?'. She gave him a puzzled look, and he stared at her, saying 'Harlow, Harlow Woodroffe'. Chris smiled tightly, an retracted her hand from his. "Well, Harlow... it was... interesting... to meet you," she said, before leaving him alone in the kitchen.

That man... he made her feel weird. And not the good kind.

_-12:20am (Las Vegas)-_

"Look, I get how this looks. I date a girl, and then she turns up dead. But I'm not killing them, alright? Why would I? I have to much to lose by killing someone. My life is on track, and I have an awesome future, so why would I kill someone?" Brock asked rhetorically. He sat in a leather chair opposite the matching sofa that Hotch and Emily sat on. The house was lavishly decorated, and it was obvious that he was comfortable in it, pictures of the family on the wall around a fireplace, a bookshelf filled with textbooks and history books lining a wall. It was neat, but nowhere near OCD neat.

The African-American noticed that the two had empty cups, and then offered another cup. Emily shook her head, holding up a hand. "No thank you. Brock, when you were dating them, did you notice anything strange? Perhaps someone following them about, giving them a little too much attention," Emily asked, and Brock paused in his move to pick up a biscuit, having the munchies, before continuing and shaking his head.

"Nope, sorry. Besides, if there was, I would have sorted them out soon enough. I don't care how quickly my relationships end, when I am with a girl, she is my number one priority and I'm going to protect her as best as I can," he declared and Hotch nodded, recognising that same quality as one he himself had. If he had someone, he was going to protect them at all costs.

Brock stared at them, his eyes going from Emily to Hotch, before he gazed quickly at his watch. "Look, guys, I'm sorry, but my brothers gonna be home soon, and he works the security night shift at the mall. I'll drop by the station tomorrow if you want to answer more questions, but I have to ask you to leave now," he apologised politely, and Emily went 'Oh' while Hotch stood, holding out his hand to Brock who also stood.

"Thank you for talking to us, Mister Rosen. If you think of anything, get in touch," Hotch instructed. Brock dipped his head in submittal, before shaking Emily's hand as well and leading them to the front door. They felt his eyes on them until they were halfway down the pathway, when the white door to the house closed. Emily looked up at Hotch.

"He was incredibly calm about all that, didn't even seem phased that we were questioning him," Emily said, her tone pondering. Hotch nodded, unlocking the SUV and getting into the drivers seat, putting on his sunglasses. Emily got into the passengers side and inhaled deeply. "Okay, so he wasn't worried at all. He seemed upset about his them dying, but he wasn't worried about himself. Why?"

"He doesn't believe that he has done anything. He is either a brilliant actor, or he genuinely doesn't know what happened to them," Hotch suggested, and Emily watched as a black sedan pulled into the driveway, a man getting out of the car. Unlike his brother, Jason Rosen was small, and seemingly insignificant, with pale skin and a early receding hair line. Hotch narrowed his eyes. "How old is the brother?"

"According to Garcia, he's twenty-eight. He was twenty-three when their father died. Took Brock in his custody. They moved here three years after their dad died," Emily said, and she rested her elbow on the ridge, her window rolled down. She put her chin in her palm and frowned, trying to think in the heat. She kept over-heating, and the Vegas weather wasn't making it any better. "He paused..." she mumbled, strapping herself into the seat.

Hotch looked at her out the corner of his eye, starting the car and putting on his seatbelt. As he pulled out of the street, she closed her eyes, a light breeze coming from the faster movements. Soothing on her warmed, flushed skin and she moaned quietly as her nerves tingled in response. Hotch felt himself starting to physically react as he looked over at her. Her head was leaning back, her body arching slightly to the breeze. Her mouth was parted slightly and eyes closed and her tongue darted out to moisten the red-painted lips.

Looking away from her sharply, he fixed his eyes on the road, desperate not to look at her. If he did, this 'going slow' thing was not going to last. At all. It didn't last though, as his eyes strayed back to her, the woman on his right was dangerously bewildering and if he wasn't careful, he was going to crash into something with just how distracting she actually was.

Emily smiled to herself, and then opened her eyes as the SUV pulled into the Precinct car park. Unbuckling her seatbelt, she looked over at Hotch, who was stiff as a board, and she reached over, puttign her hand on his arm. "You okay? You seem tense," she questioned, softly, and he stared at her, before letting go of the steering wheel and cupping the back of her head, pulling her to his lips.

She hummed, before smirking and wrapping her arms around his neck. Her hands gripped the back of his suit jacket and he ran his hand up her leg, causing her to giggle as the arm wrapped around her waist. Emily's entire body sang in response, and her heart hammered. "Slow..." she mumbled in between kisses, his lips moving against her fluidly. Her tongue darted out, smoothing over his bottom lip.

His mouth slipped open and his tongue danced with hers artfully. Emily's body heated and she panted, feeling far to hot. "No... it's too... too warm..." she breathed, and he pulled away, looking at her worriedly. She was flushed, her skin a rosy pink and she fanned herself with her hand. "Oh, far too warm..." she mumbled, and before he could stop her, Emily opened the door, rushing into the Precinct while waving her hand at her neck, trying to cool down.

She ran into Chris, who stumbled backwards, before grabbing onto Emily's forearms, gazing at her with raised eyebrows. "Where you off to in a rush, Prentiss?" she asked, trying to be teasing and hide the actual worry in her tone. Emily just shook her head, tilting it back when she realised they were standing under a fan and groaned deeply with the cool air that was whirring down on her. Chris furrowed ehr eyebrows. "Okay, what's up with you, Em."

"I'm just so god damn hot...it sucks. I can't cool down, and I can't sleep and I am so tired," Emily moaned, as Chris directed her to their area of the floor where JJ was staring at over five boxes piled on a table in apprehensive horror. Chris sat her down, and then sat opposite her, beckoning JJ over. Emily looked at her, frustrated and hot. "What is going on? Can I get some water or something? I'm so hot."

"JJ, go get her some water please," Chris asked and JJ nodded, quickly rushing through to the kitchen of the Precinct to get Emily some water. "Emily, calm down, it sounds like you are overworked. You need to take a minute and just de-stress, okay? You won't get anywhere if you are stressed out," Chris chastised, and she reached into her bag, she pulled out a small hand fan, giving it to Emily.

"Oh, I think I just fell in love with you," Emily growled happily, flicking the fan switch and holding it to her face, slumping in the seat lazily. Hotch approached, a completely blank expression on his face. Somehow he had managed to calm himself down before he entered, striding over to the team.

"Rossi and Morgan are not back yet?" he asked, his tone authoritarian and Chris shook her head, looking up at him from where she sat, her eyes large. "We need to organise night patrols of the abduction sites and the victims homes. Reid, have you established a connection between the abduction sites and where the victims being disposed?" he asked, and Reid looked at the SSA, blinking before he nodded, goign over to the files and spreadign them out over the table.

"All the victims were taken from a park, called the Red Sunset Park, at varying times. Jessica, Katie and Melinda were all morning runners, and were abducted at this time, while Lizzie, Beth and Casey were evening runners. Beth rode her bicycle, which explains why they found her bicycle hidden in the trees. I have been able to establish an area in which the UnSub is most likely to target," Reid explained and he pinned for pointers into the map.

The first went in a the Green Valley Shopping Centre, the second along at the crossroads of Warm Springs Road and Gibson Road, the third at the intersection for Gibson Road and American Pacific Drive and the fourth at the connector for American Pacific Drive to Arroyo Grande Boulevard.

"The victims all lived in this area. The chances are that the UnSub will continue to hunt his victims in this area which means we would need to have patrols in this entire area," he gestured to the map and Hotch eyed the area. The murmur of conversation around them filled the silence that had overcome the team as they though, a distant noise of phones ringing and the hum of the air conditioner and the buzz of Chris' hand-fan as Emily held it to her face.

"What did we miss?" Morgan asked, breaking through their silence, and Reid and Hotch looked over at the two men as they came towards them. Morgan pulled out a chair, sitting down tiredly. He scrubbed his hands over his face rapidly, trying to get the looks of the parents as they answered his questions out of his mind.

"We are organising patrols in the marked area. I'm guessing you will want to be on those patrols?" Hotch questioned and Morgan nodded, responding 'You know it'. "JJ, Chris and Emily, I want you to stay here and start to organise through these files. Compose a report and adjust the profile as necessary. Morgan and Reid, patrol Red Sunset Park and take note of any female fitting the victimology that you see. Rossi and I will watch the school and the shopping centre."

"Fun..." Chris exhaled, eyeing the boxes and Emily blinked.

"Oh, this sucks..."

_-15:37pm (Las Vegas)-_

Chris stared at the images in front of her, before looking at another set with a perplexed expression. "JJ... look at this and tell me what you see," she ordered and the blonde looked up from where she sat, before dragging herself out her seat and wandering around the table to look, slumping over Chris. She leant with crossed arms on the back of Chris's chair, resting her chin on the brunettes head as she stared at the pictures. Then, she straightened, moving closer and shifting Chris out the way to look more at the,

"They are different. Messier. Less organised," she stated, and Chris agreed. Emily looked up from where she was writing notes, seeing the brewing emotions from the other two women who were staring at the photographs avidly.

"Exactly. These pictures are the last victim from 2007, and the first three of 2008. There is a gradual progression in them, a learning. His technique gets neater, more precise. These victims are like trial victims, a learning curve," Chris explained, starting to become more energetic. Emily started to stand, and make her way over to them. "These victims were killed by a different UnSub to the earlier ones."

"Which means that we either have two UnSubs, or something happened to the first one to make him train someone else to do the killing," Emily joined in and Chris exclaimed 'Exactly!' her voice becoming high-pitched and excitable. "We need to get Garcia to run a check on the death records in Roswell, New Mexico, and Phoenix, Arizona then cross-reference with families who have moved between each of the cities and now moved to Vegas."

"I'll call her," JJ stated and Chris waved a hand, her attention turning to the pictures as she tried to find more differences in the earlier images to the ones from the current crime scenes.

Garcia was staring at her screens in horror, her big brown flicking over the images that continued to stream onto her computer, nearly tearing up at the sight of the torture and pain inflicted on the poor girls. Eventually, she just couldn't take it anymore and shut the images off, her head falling into her hands. "Oh, those poor sweethearts... how is this fair? Why did this happen?" she sniffed.

There was a beeping, signalling an incoming call and she answered, trying to be chipper and filing miserably. "You have reached the oracle of awesome, what do you wish to see, oh faithful follower," she stumbled, and JJ faltered as she went to speak, concern for her friend over-powering her need to solve the case, as wrong as it seemed. Garcia smiled to herself before speaking. "Jayje, what do you need?"

"Oh... I need you to find the death record for anyone who died between the 28 June 2007 and the 28 December 2008 in Roswell, New Mexico and Phoenix, Arizona," JJ requested and Garcia rose an eyebrow, before replying 'Just a second, sugar-pea'. Her fingers danced over the keyboards, eyes intent on her screens.

"Okay, my blond goddess, I'm going to need a little more than that. There were 49101 deaths in those states between that time. Need to narrow that down, JJ," Garcia asked,and JJ responded 'check for anyone who had a family that moved from Phoenix to Vegas after the death'. Garcia hummed, and accessed several databases, looking at each pop-up intently and then typing rapidly, before looking at the screen again. "Okay, JJ, I have a hundred families here, what else do you have?"

"Er... just a minute," she replied, and the blonde moved to the map, looking at it biting her lip. "Okay, try any families that have lived in all of the cities that were targeted in the last twenty years, with sons who were born in or after 1980," JJ suggested and Garcia nodded. JJ waited, her eyes going over to Chris and Emily, her foot tapping softly as she felt more impatient. She really wanted this case over.

"Okay, we have three families, two whom of which had sons. One of them lives in St Louis Drive, Las Vegas and the other is a Joshua Thornton. He lives on Forest Ridge Street..." Garcia trailed off as she remembered what she had read earlier. "He's Brock Rosen's older brother," she stated, and JJ's inhaled sharply, getting Emily's attention. She turned to face JJ, standing up straight as JJ gave her a disbelieving look.

"Brock Rosen's older brother..." JJ breathed and Emily gaped. Brock Rosen's older brother? That would explain why it was Brock's girlfriends who were targets. And the brother would have been able to learn their routines through Brock before they broke up. "Thank you, Garcia."

"Jayje," Garcia said, her voice quiet and JJ paused as she went to hang up, before asking 'Yes?'. Garcia took a deep breath, calming herself as the images that she had shut off began to reappear on her screen. "Catch this guy, please? He has to be caught."

JJ swallowed. "We will, Garcia. We will," she assured her best friend, and Garcia hummed affirmative, before they both hung up. Chris and Emily looked at her expectantly, waiting for something, and she gave them grim looks. "Joshua Thornton. We need to bring him in."


	11. 31 August 2012 Evening

**A/N: This is a Hotch/Emily story. The only difference in this from canon is that Doyle was the one who died (Morgan shot him) rather than Emily 'dying'.**

* * *

><p><strong>Alteration<strong>

_31 August 2012  
><em>_-16:13pm (Las Vegas)-_

Chris held her Colt in a defensive position, her and Morgan positioned at the back door of 544 Forest Ridge Street. They were ready for in case the UnSub decided to make a run for it out the back, waiting for Hotch and Rossi to give a signal. The sound of the door being kicked in caused them to react, Morgan shifting and knocking the door off it's hinged with a swift snap of his leg, jogging into the house slightly. He ready to shoot any threat, hyper-vigilant. Chris followed, looking around cautiously, less eager than him.

"Joshua Thornton?" Hotch called through the house, receiving no reply. Chris narrowed her eyes, hearing the sound of running water, and she broke off through a hallway. She moved gracefully up the stairs, eyeing the pictures of the family on the walls. She came to the top of a hallway, the walls painted a cream with yellow horizontal stripes. Warm colours... welcoming.

She looked around, feeling Morgan's presence behind her, and she looked over her shoulder at him, nodded once and then moved down the hallway. She stopped at the bathroom, held one finger up, before ramming the door, smashing it open. "FBI!" she called out, holding up her Colt. The person in the shower jumped in surprise, grabbing onto the shower curtain. "Come out with your hand's up."

"Can I at least get a towel?" the person called, and Chris paused, before giving him the affirmative. A dark skinned arm came out from behind the curtain, and reached around the blue tiled wall for the towel rack, pulling the patterned towel off the chrome bar. The shower shut off, some of the steam starting to clear as it drifted out into the hallway. Morgan kept his Glock steady, waiting, and the curtain pulled aside to reveal Brock Rosen.

Chris groaned, and holstered her Colt. "Brock Rosen," she muttered, and she looked over at Morgan, who nodded. He called out 'We got Rosen' to the others, and Hotch walked up the stairs, holstering his Glock. There was a dark look on his face as approached them, and Chris let her head fall back in frustration. "No sign of him?" she asked and he shook his head, saying 'He's not here'.

Brock stared at them, hair still full of soap bubbled and water dripping down his neck, over his bare chest and his pecks. It trailed down his toned flesh and into the dark haired region below his towel. Chris pursed her lips, and looked at Morgan, who was placing his Glock back into his holster. Hotch had his hands on his hips, lips thin as he looked at Brock. "Where is your brother?"

"What?" Brock asked, confused.

"Where is your brother, Brock?" he asked, clearly on edge and frustrated. Brock was still bewildered that there were people in his bathroom, while he was completely naked and stammered, staring at them with large brown eyes. Then, he began to understand what was happening. The pieces slipped together in his mind and he stumbled backwards, sitting on the edge of the bathtub. His expression went blank and he swallowed heavily, and Chris's instincts bubbled rapidly.

She moved next to him, and put her hand on his shoulder, giving him the patented 'mother' look. "You didn't know?" she said, and he shook his head, his eyes shadowed as he glowered at the white tiled floor. There was a rug over the tiles, matching the colours of the tiles. Chris tutted under her breath, feeling the frigidness off the boy next to her, the anger that was starting to radiate from him.

"Trust me, I would have told you had I known," he growled and Chris gazed over at Hotch, raising her eyebrows. He gave a curt affirmative, and the brunette mother turned back to Brock. He stood abruptly, a hard expression on his face as he glanced at Hotch and Morgan. "Do you need me to come down to the station?" he asked, and Hotch nodded. "Okay. Can I get dressed?"

"Please," Hotch stated. Brock looked around at the others in the bathroom, before he pushed past Morgan and went down the hallway. Hotch looked at Morgan. "Keep an eye on him," he ordered, and Morgan muttered in response, following the teenage boy down the hallway and standing outside the door. Hotch turned his attention back to Chris, who had knitted eyebrows. "What are you thinking?"

"Hmm?" she sounded, looking at him surprised. He repeated the question, and she paused, before licking her lips and looking at her boss evenly. "He was angry. When he realised why we were here, he was angry, Hotch. He wasn't surprised. And earlier, Emily told me that when she asked him about people following his girlfriends when they were dating, he paused before answering. He thought about it, Hotch."

"You think he knew?" Hotch questioned and Chris bit her lip, before she replied 'No'. She stood and brushed the back of her skirt, realising too late the disadvantages of wearing a white skirt and sitting on a wet bath edge. Hotch eyed her, his eyes brroding and she rose her head to meet his eyes, lips pursed.

"I think he suspected that something was going on. But nobody wants to believe that their family are capable of those sorts of things," she stated, as she undid the Velcro holding her FBI vest together. She walked past him, pulling it over her head, and then froze, looking up at him. "I want to be the one to question him, if that's alright?" she told him, and he asked 'why', knowing that if she felt some sort of inclination towards the boy it would affect her in the questioning.

Chris looked down at the carpet, before she looked at him again. "Because I think that if he is confronted with you, or Morgan or Rossi, he will close up. He is a dominating personality, much like you three are and I think he will argue if you question him. I am a lot less imposing than you three, and I believe he is more likely to talk to me, than to you," Chris explained. Hotch watched her, his expression contemplative before he nodded.

"Take Reid in with you," Hotch bid, and Chris opened her mouth, to question him, but the expression on his face left no room for argument, so she complied, holding her vest to her chest. Hotch turned the corner of his lips upwards, before he adopted a severe look once more as Brock left his bedroom, now dressed in loose black jeans with a white tank-top under a blue hoodie.

Chris looked at him once, and then headed down the stairs, still clutching the vest. Part of her felt bad, as she looked at the pictures, and began to notice a recurring them. Joshua and his father had been close, as evident in the photographs, but in every one of the three of them, Brock was off to the side, a clear divide between him and the other two members of his family.

The rest of her was relieved however. If they hadn't had that divide between them, then Brock might be the one they were arresting. He was instead helping them catch his brother... she hoped.

-_17:00pm (Las Vegas)-_

Hotch stood outside of the interrogation room, arms crossed and his eyes heavy as he looked through the one way glass as Chris and Reid questioned Brock. The nineteen year old was rigid, his eyes narrowed as he looked down at the picture of his family that Chris had set down on the table. The anger in them was obvious, his fist clenched and foot tapping incessantly.

Chris's voice drifted over the intercom, filling the small room Hotch was in.

"Brock, you said that you had no idea what was going on, right? But that's not exactly true, is it?" Chris questioned, and Brock glowered at her. She didn't flinch, instead pulling another picture of his family from an envelope, setting it next to the other one on the table. It was more recent, than the other one, which was taken when Brock was five.

"You are separate from them in these picture, Brock. You knew, unconsciously, that there was something wrong with them. You saw that their behaviour was off even at a young age," Reid stated, and Chris sat back, letting him take the lead again. They had been alternating like this often in the interview. Hotch had never seen them working together, for the main reason that when they were on a case, he didn't let them work together so they didn't let there emotions influence their work.

Now though... he couldn't afford to do that anymore, not unless he wanted to stop working with Emily. And he was fast realising that was the last thing he wanted. Hotch wanted to be near her at all times, needed to know she was safe.

The best way for him to do that was to be with her when they were in the field and, when possible, assign her to work in the station or at a desk. It was underhand, but he was willing to do it if he began to think that a situation was particularly dangerous.

He was aware that acting that way was quite hypocritical. Reid had continually asked him when Chris first started coming on cases to leave her out of the field in-case something had happened to her, and in response he had made sure that she was in the field as much as possible to make Reid used to her being in danger, and Chris used to being in danger. He actually understood now that need to keep someone you cared for out of danger more than he had before.

"Where would he go during the day?" Reid asked, and Brock furrowed his eyebrows, thinking. Chris waited patiently for an answer, her hazel eyes gently as she peered at him. Reid studied the way he acted, his leg jigging under the table.

"Nowhere. He worked nights, then came home and slept during the day. I pretty much only saw him when he came home after work. Sometimes, he didn't even come home. I just thought he was going to the bars or something," Brock told them finally, after a few moments. Chris furrowed her eyebrows, looking at Brock before turning to Reid. Hotch's eyes narrowed as he saw her hand moving. Her fist clenched under the table, Reid's eyes on it, before she held up one finger, rotated it and then clenched her fist again.

Reid looked at her, raising his eyebrows and her head bobbed once, and then she turned back to Brock. Her hands clasped together on the table and Reid stood, going over to the door and leaving the interrogation room. Only a second later he joined Hotch, hands in his pockets and a tight look on his face. Hotch glanced at him, before looking back into the interrogation room.

"We had to come up with a way to communicate without Anna realising," Reid stated, and Hotch eyed him, going 'hm?'. Reid pursed his lips. "Anna started to play us against each other when she was in trouble. We had to come up with away to communicate without her realising it so she wouldn't catch us out. Chris basically told me that Brock is lying and she need one rotation of time to talk to him."

"A rotation?" Hotch questioned and Reid supplied 'a minute' before he returned his attention to the interrogation room. Chris was standing now, and she emptied out the envelope of pictures onto the table. The expression on her face was different from the previous one, colder and harsher.

"Okay. We are not going to get anywhere if you lie to me, Brock. Now I want you to tell me right now where your brother is, because I know you know where he is. He hasn't worked at Shopping centre since July 2011. This was the month before the first girl, your _girlfriend_, was taken. If you don't tell me where he is, Brock, then another girl will go missing and it will be on your shoulders," Chris snapped, and Brock tensed visibly, not having expected her to suddenly change on him.

"I said I don't know," he grit from between his teeth and Chris pursed her lips, darkly, pulling a picture from the pile. It was one of Jessica, after she had been found. She held it up, before setting it in-front of him. Brock's jaw clenched.

"He did that, Brock. Your brother. And he will do it again if you don't tell me where he is, do you understand? I know you know, and do you know why, because you have told me repeatedly with your behaviour. So where is he?" she ground out, palms flat on the table and leaning forward to look at him. For a moment, Hotch thought she looked a little like Morgan when he was questioning someone, but then the light in the room shifted slightly as the sun moved outside the glazed window.

Brock was silent, and Chris stood up straight, putting her hands on her hips. She went to speak again, and he looked at her, swallowing.

"He's at Store Your Stuff. Off West Victory Road. He rents a container there. If he isn't at the house, then he is there," Brock said, and Chris blinked, before she nodded once and said 'Thank you'. Then she collected the pictures off the table, placing them back in the envelope, and left the interrogation room. Reid looked at Hotch, before he left the attached room as well to speak to her.

Hotch looked at Brock, who sat still for a moment, before he rested his elbows on the table and put his face in his hands, taking a shuddery breath. Feeling sympathy spike in him, Hotch frowned and shook his head to clear it, leaving the room as well. They had an UnSub to catch.

_-18:30pm (Las Vegas)-_

Catching Joshua had been easy once they had got him trapped in his container. He had given up completely and the state of the inside of the container was enough to arrest him on site, the walls coated with blood and instrument lining the walls, a steel surgical bed in the centre of the space. There was even an armchair in the corner, and a jewellery boxes containing jewellery taken from every one of the 62 victims.

The team had gone back to the station to start cleaning up their area. Chris was fast realising that sometimes catching the guy didn't make you feel any better about the world, especially not when him and his father where the cause of the deaths of 62 people. JJ, having long since realised this, was just silent as she began to take down the pictures of the board. Emily was organising the boxes, returning the right files to the right boxes.

It was a painstaking operation, as there were so many files and they had all been jumbled up when the women had been looking through them, trying to find a connection. Morgan was helping her, trying to sort through the mess they had made, while Rossi and Hotch spoke to the Chief. Reid looked around the group, licking his lips.

"I'm going to get a coffee. I'll be right back," he told them, and Morgan rose a hand in acknowledgement, not looking up from the file he was shifting through. Reid's eyes flicked over to the rest of the team, and he resisted the urge to ask one of them to come with him, knowing how it would look. He was a grown man. He could get a coffee on his own. e approached the kitchen quickly, his eyes flicking around cautiously. He had barely flicked the coffee maker on when he felt it.

He turned, and swallowed to see a scowling Woodroffe. Reid straightened and swallowed, refusing to cower. He was not twelve years old anymore. He was not. However, when Woodroffe advanced towards him, Reid stepped backwards into the counter. Pure rage rolled off of Woodroffe.

"Looks like the amazing Doctor Reid did it again, huh? Solved yet another case with his oh so wonderful team," Woodroffe growled.

Reid furrowed his eyebrows, staring at Woodroffe with wide eyes. Woodroffe snarled, and bought up his hand, smacking Reid across the face. Reid yelped in surprise, not having expected the blow and he stumbled backwards, nearly falling if he hadn't caught onto the counter.

"You just have to do everything right, don't you? Perfect little job, perfect little friends, perfect fucking wife. You can't have one fucking thing go wrong for you, can you?" Woodroffe sneered. The profiler in Reid's mind began to work overtime, and Woodroffe took his silence for mocking and lashed out again, punching him in the gut. Reid gasped and bent over, holding his stomach.

Then a slow, menacing smirk fell onto Woodroffe's face. "Oh yeah... I forgot about your crazy ass mother. She still as big a whack-job as ever?" he began to taunt, and Reid froze, his jaw locking as he looked at Woodroffe. Anger started to bubble under his skin, as Woodroffe continued. "Not so perfect anymore, huh Spency? Bet those little brats you have will turn out just like her. One day, I bet you'll need to lock them up, just likeyou did you did tha cra-"

"I dare you to finish that sentence," a voice said from behind Woodroffe, and he turned to see Morgan standing there, his arms crossed and a look so deadly on his face that if it was possible Reid was pretty sure it would have killed Woodroffe. Reid, however, was to busy envisioning tearing Woodroffe's head from his shoulders. Go after him, fine. Go after the people he loved and he would shoot you dead.

"He is an FBI agent, you are aware of that, right? If you have laid one hand on him, you will not only lose your job, but go to prison for assault of a federal agent," Morgan seethed, and he looked around Woodroffe, at Reid who was standing straighter. His lip was split from Woodroffe's blow, and he was still winded from the punch to his stomach. Morgan glowered at Woodroffe. "And by the looks of it, you did far more than lay a hand on him."

"What are you going to do about? Your word ain't worth shit here, Agent," Woodroffe hissed and Morgan took a step towards him, cracking his knuckles when JJ stopped him, putting a hand on his arm. Woodroffe's attention turned to her, and he saw Emily and Hotch behind the two agents. He began to pale, stumbling back slightly into reid, who shoved him away from him

"This scum-bag isn't even worth raising your hand, Morgan. We'll report him," JJ warned Morgan off, her expression dour as she watched Woodroffe. Emily came in next to JJ, an instinct she wasn't even aware she had fighting through, the urge to pummel Woodroffe until he was a bloody mess on the floor nearly overwhelming. "Guys, it's not worth the paperwork..."

"I don't know. I would quite happily fill out some forms to kick this piece of shit's ass," Emily declared, and by the black look on Hotch's face he was in complete agreement, but not voicing it. Reid wiped the blood from his lip, his eyes flicking from his team... his family... to the bully that had tortured him all through high school. He was moving before he could stop, and his fist smacked into Woodroffe's jaw, sending him onto his back. Morgan rose an eyebrow and smirked, while JJ shrieked 'Spence!'.

"I can claim self defence," Reid gasped, before he turned and walked away from Woodroffe. He subtly shook his hand, his face twisting into one of agony as he clenched and unclenched his fist. He was not made for physical exertion. Morgan glared at Woodroffe one last time, putting his arm around Reid's shoulders with a grin to his friend, and asking 'Feel better?'. Reid looked at him, slightly guilty, as he nodded. "Much, actually."

"As bad as it sounds, I'm glad," he told his friend, and Reid flushed, grinning widely and then wincing with his lip. He put his hand to his lip and breathed in sharply, as Chris looked up from where she she was packing up a box. Morgan knew what was going to happen before she even finished processing her husbands appearance. Surprise, worry and then finally fury crossed her face as she marched round the table and to Reid.

"What. Happened," she grit out, her hand going to Reid's jaw as she turned his face to get a better look of his face. Morgan stepped away from Reid and Chris, not really wanting to get between Chris and her 'mama-rage'. Her eyes flicked over Reid's shoulder to see JJ and Emily shoving Woodroffe out the kitchen, the large man in handcuffs. Her mind flashed to earlier that day, walking in on Reid on the floor and Woodroffe over him acting as if he was trying to help. Something hadn't sat right with her about him.

Reid could tell when Chris put the pieces together, and put his arms around her waist to stop her going over to Woodroffe. She growled a warning, and he looked at her evenly, trying to calm her.

"Let it go, Chris, just let it go. JJ and Emily have dealt with it," he told her. The brunette's right eye twitched as she stared over at Woodroffe, who was being reported to his Chief. Reid put his hands on her cheeks and forced her to look at him. "It's dealt with."

She wanted to argue, but she caught sight of his lip and her mind wandered. The bruise on his shoulder, the bump on his head. How he refused to let her see his wrist when she gave him his shirt to change. His nervousness. All signs of someone being bullied. "How did I miss this?" she mumbled, and he sighed, pressing his forehead to hers.

"You didn't miss it. I just didn't say anything," he said softly and she sucked in on her bottom lip, before raising her thumb to his wounded skin. Her eyebrows knit together, her eyes filled with distress. It was almost the same distress that was still clinging to the edges of his mind. He wrapped his arms around her , hugging her tightly and looking over the top of her head at Woodroffe who was being processed.

"I didn't say anything."

_-20:13pm (Las Vegas) 02:13am(Quantico, Virginia)- _

"You could have told us," Emily told Reid softly, sitting opposite him and a sleeping Chris. Reid was position at a twist slightly, turned in his seat so Chris could snuggle up into his side. She had been on Quantico timing for the entire trip, and was actually worn out enough to fall asleep on the plane. Her shoes had been discarded and she had changed into loose trousers before they go onto the plane, so her legs were went onto the seat, a blanket covering her.

Reid frowned, staring at the chessboard between the, while his fingers idly tangled into Chris's hair. "I know..." he replied, his voice a whisper. Emily rose an eyebrow, asking 'so why didn't you?' and he looked at her, seriously. "I was ashamed. I thought that I should be able to handle it, I should be able to deal with it on my own."

"Spencer... you don't have to deal with it on your own. You shouldn't. We're family, and family have each others backs," she whispered and he looked down at the chessboard. She was right. The team worked because they were a family. It allowed them to no each other well enough to see when something was wrong, and allowed them to be able to resolve any fights between them without many repercussions. They were family. Family stuck together.

"I know... but how can I expect my children to be able to look after themselves, when I can't even look after myself?" he whined and Emily smiled at him, airily as she reached over and took his free hand, squeezing it gently. Reid exhaled heavily, and Chris rose a hand to his shirt, gripping onto it tightly.

Reid looked down expecting her to be awake, only to see her face scrunched up, eyebrows furrowed and lips puckered. He let go of Emily's hand and set his fingers on her temple, brushing her hair from her face. Chris murmured and he held her tighter, repeatedly brushing his fingers over her temple. Her expression began to relax and Emily turned her lips up in a half-smile.

"I think that you have nothing to worry about, Spencer. You are an amazing father, and a brilliant husband, and your children are lucky to have you," she assured him, and Reid stared at her, before smiling and wincing as he nodded. Reid said 'thank you', his voice quiet and Emily beamed at him, before excusing herself, going over to where Hotch sat in the shadows, staring out the window. He gazed at her as she approached, sitting opposite him in a single chair.

"Hi," she said, and he dipped his head in greeting. Emily leaned back, getting comfortable and rolled her neck before tilting her head as she looked at him. Taking in the pondering expression, his chin resting on his knuckles and tie loosened, she softened her features, concerned. "What are you thinking?" she asked, using his own words and he chuckled slightly, glancing at her.

"I'm going to take some personal time. Jack has a long weekend, and I want to spend it with him," Hotch said, keeping his voice low, and Emily nodded. It was understandable. They had barely been back two days before getting called away again on a case. Hotch missed his son. "I'm going to tell him about us," Hotch stated, and Emily rose her eyebrows, slightly surprised. "He deserves to know."

"I wasn't doubting that for a second, Aaron. It's just... are you sure you want to tell him? What if he gets upset?" Emily questioned, worried. She was having difficulty keeping her voice quiet, and JJ's eyes flashed up from where she was sorting through another set of case files, before she returned to her work, yawning widely. Hotch looked slightly amused at the suggestion.

"Emily, Jack loves you. Possibly more than he loves me. He won't be upset," Hotch joked, before returning to seriousness once more. Emily flushed, licking her lips and smiling in embarrassment. Hotch eyed her, with a partially amused look. "I want you to be there when I tell him," Hotch said, and Emily's mouth opened, beginning to protest and Hotch held up a hand. She quickly went silent, watching him. "Emily, this is something I want us to do. Together. So please don't question me."

She narrowed her eyes on him, recognising the tone of authority that he was giving her and she crossed her arms defensively. "Don't do that. Don't give me an order, Hotch. You may be my boss on a case and in the office, but you are not the boss in our relationship. We are on equal standing here and if I don't want to do something, I will not do it," she ground out and his eyebrows lowered over his eyes as he realised his fault. Emily stood, and then paused.

"However, I will be with you to tell Jack. It is something we should do together," she told him, before going over to sit with JJ, obviously angry. Hotch groaned and ran his hand over his face, and Rossi shook his head across the isle from him, a bemused expression on his face.

"Wow... you really are an idiot when it comes to women," Rossi stated, and Hotch glared at him.


	12. 1 September 2012 Morning

**A/N: This is a Hotch/Emily story. The only difference in this from canon is that Doyle was the one who died (Morgan shot him) rather than Emily 'dying'.**

**Just discovered the wonders of filtered cofffeeee :) **

* * *

><p><strong>Alteration<strong>

_1 September 2012  
><em>_-08:23am (Washington, D.C)- _

"Daddy! Daddy! Wake up, Daddy!" Jack Hotchner called, bouncing up and down on his fathers bed, waiting for the man to wake and give him attention. His brown eyes were eager and he dropped down to his knees next to Hotch's head, looking at him with a pout. Hotch kept his eyes closed, before roaring and enveloping the boy in his arms. Jack shrieked happily, hitting out at his dad in fake fear. "Daddy! Let me go!"

"Nope," Hotch grinned, and Jack bat his arms, before Hotch unleashed a ravage of tickling on the poor boy, who howled with laughter, face scrunching up. He gasped and pleaded with Hotch to stop and Hotch laughed, deep and vibrating in his chest, finally stopping and sitting back on his bed. Jack popped up again, bouncing as his momentary loss of control was forgotten.

"So what are we going to do today, Daddy? Can we paint a picture? Oh! Can we go to the park? I want to go to the park, because Lissy said that the last time she went to the park they had an awesome ice cream van and I really want ice cream, can we have ice cream for breakfast that'd be so cool! Please daddy, please!" Jack begged, with big eyes and clasping his hands, a hopeful look on his adorable seven year old face.

"But ice cream is for desert, Jack. We can't have desert for breakfast," Hotch reasoned and Jack pouted, crossing his arms huffily. Then, he let out the longest, loudest 'Please' he could, grabbing onto Hotch's arm and bobbing up and down on the bed. The expression on his face was so overwhelming that Hotch had to give in, and he sighed dramatically, shakign his head in submission. "Very well, young master Jack. We can have ice cream for breakfast... but just this one time."

"YAY! We are getting ice cream for breakfast!" Jack cheered, clapping his hands and then jumping of the edge of the bed fearlessly causing Hotch to dart up with eyes wide. The boy was fine though, landing on his feet and darting from the room. Hotch breathed out heavily, his heart thumping in his chest, as Jack's head popped in the doorway. "Come on Daddy! You are so slow! I want ice cream!"

Then he disappeared again, his bare feet pounding against the flooring of their apartment. Hotch rolled his eyes, and slipped his feet into his slippers, padding after Jack with a grin on his face. Jack was dragging a chair over to the cupboard, eager to get his own bowl. Hotch reached over his head, grabbing the Ben10 Alien Force bowl and setting it on the kitchen counter.

Jack pouted at not being allowed to do it himself, but the hopped down from the chair, going over to the bar and clambering onto one of the stools, waiting for Hotch to put the chocolate ice cream into the bowl, naturally adding sprinkles and chocolate sauce over the top. Hotch put a spoon in the bowl and set it in front of his son, who's face lit up like a light bulb. Eagerly, he dug into the ice cream, ignoring Hotch's warnings to go slow, and then cried out as he got a brain freeze.

Shaking his head, Hotch spooned some of his ice cream into his mouth, waiting for the brain freeze to pass. Almost as soon as it did, Jack launched back into his ice cream, slowing down now.

"What are we going to do today, Daddy?" Jack asked, ice cream around his mouth. His eyes were large and inquisitive, ready for anything and to take on whatever challenge he was given.

"I dunno, buddy, what do you want to do?" Hotch asked and Jack blinked, before furrowing his eyebrows a look of intense concentration on his face, before he looked out the window at the shining sun and the obvious warmth that was permeating down onto the streets outside. It was like a light-bulb had gone off above his head and he looked at his dad excitedly.

"Can we play cops and robbers?" he asked, and Hotch chuckled, ruffling his sons hair and saying 'Of course we can'. Jack grinned and hit away Hotch's hand.

"Stop it, daddy! You are making my hair messy," Jack whined, putting his hands on his head and flattening it his hair again with an adorable pout. Hotch beamed at his son, who stuck his tongue out in response. "Daddy, can Auntie Emmy come today? I really want to see her."

Hotch sighed, and shook his head, causing Jack to frown.

"I'm sorry, Jack, but Emily has to work today. She will be coming for dinner tonight though," Hotch said, trying to turn the scowl on Jack's face back into the carefree smile that had been there only moments before. Jack inhaled deeply, and nodded, still frowning, a slightly petulant look on his face. Hotch flicked him on the nose, wanting to get the oh-so familiar brooding expression of his face. "Hey, stop with the sad look, Jack. Emily's coming for dinner, and until then, we get to play all day."

Jack shrugged, moving his spoon around his now empty bowl. Hotch felt bad as Jack pushed his bowl away from him.

"Jack, come on. You are going to see Emily today, so stop acting like that. We are going to have so much fun today. We can even have a water fight!" Hotch pushed and Jack began to look lighter, the idea of a water fight was incredibly appealing, especially to a seven year old.

"Really?" Jack questioned, suspiciously and Hotch nodded, with a grin. Jack's lips began to turn up, before he cheered loudly. "I'm so going to win! You're gonna get wet, daddy!" he whooped, before he bounced of the chair, and Hotch chuckled and then wrapped his arms around his son as Jack hugged him tightly.

_-10:07am (Quantico, Virginia)-_

Chris sipped her coffee, walking along the balcony above the bullpen. She held a pile of files in on hand, reading through the top one as she did so, glasses balanced on the ridge of her nose. She wore a fitted navy pencil dress, with cap sleeves and a heart neckline. At the waist it was cinched with a black braided rope belt, and she had on black Mary-Jane pumps. Her hair was twisted into a French twist, her lips tinted rouge as she bought the rim of her cup to her mouth, sipping the sweet, steaming liquid.

She yelped, when a hand grasped onto her upper arm and yanked her into an office, her coffee spilling onto the floor slightly as she narrowly missed the files. The scalding liquid seeped onto her foot and she cursed, sucking in on her bottom lip as she stared at Garcia and JJ, both of whom had severely serious expression on their faces. JJ seemed slightly more shocked than Garcia her eyes widening slightly as she looked Garcia.

She straightened from where she lent against her desk, holding out her hands slightly to catch Chris if she fell as Garcia pulled her into the room forcefully, and quickly slammed the door shut, the green of her glasses rims glinting in the low light from JJ's desk lamp.

JJ's hair was pulled into a ponytail, and she wore wide leg charcoal trousers with a dusky pink tank top with layers frills under a cream waterfall wrap cardigan. On her feet she wore gathered court shoes with a small bow on them. Garcia had on a vintage floral dress with purple, green and pink flowers and a vibrant pink blazer. On her feet she had on purple, poetic licence racy lacy shoes.

"Alright, Sugar-mama, spill the beans and give us the juicy bits," Garcia stated, standing in front of the now closed door, arms crossed. She looked menacing in the light from JJ's desk lamp, and Chris backed away from her slightly, apprehensive and confused. "Oh, don't act all innocent, sweetheart. I know your Job Description."

"What?" Chris asked, looking between the two blonds in complete bewilderment, having absolutely no idea what they were talking about. JJ gave her a guilty smile, while Garcia looked ready to pounce, gleefully advancing toward Chris, clasping her hands at her chest. Garcia was excited. If what she thought was true was true than it would mean one of the best, most adorable little accident ever could happen.

"You may be a Profiler, sweetie, but you are still first and foremost our MHS. Which means your duties are to monitor our fitness levels and carry out investigations into our fine selves. So you not only watch every one of us, but you profile us. Now, sugar-mama, we ain't mad, we generally accept it, but I need your amazing knowledgeable self to get answers that I desire," Garcia prolonged her speech, and Chris stared at her, starting to realise what Garcia was talking about.

"The answers you desire? Garcia, I can't tell you medical information... besides you can get it yourself, you're a technical wizard," Chris argued, and Garcia bobbed her head, pleased with the compliment but still interested in Chris's information. JJ decided it would be best to intervene at that point, by the gleam in Garcia's eyes and the stubbornness that Chris had to keep her opinion to herself.

"Chris, we understand that you are not able to divulge medical information, but we are not looking for that. We are looking for an opinion, from you, on Emily," JJ told her diplomatically. Chris licked her bottom lip, her eyes shifting from JJ to Garcia again. "We know you keep track of us, of our physical condition. If anyone was to notice something off, than it would be you. We want to know if you have noticed any... changes... in Emily this week..."

Chris inhaled and exhaled slowly, before she set her files on JJ's desk, her coffee next to them.

"Okay, whatever I say, stays in this office. Emily... has been having hot flushes, attributed to by a raise in her basal body temperature. I noticed she hasn't been sleeping regularly, something I would normally attribute to our job, but at the same time she told me she was feeling fatigued. Now, it's early... incredibly early... but all these symptoms point to the conclusion that..."

"She's pregnant," JJ finished, and Garcia made a noise that sound like a cross between a yelp and an excited squeak. Chris blinked, looking at Garcia in surprise.

"She doesn't know though, does she? Oh my god... she had three cups of coffee this morning," JJ covered her mouth with her hand, blue eyes full of emotion. Garcia looked between the two mothers, before she wet to the door.

"Whoa! Garcia! Where are you going?" Chris quickly moved, stopping her from leaving when Garcia said 'To tell Emily' as if it was obvious. Garcia looked hurt, pouting. "You can't tell her she's pregnant, Garcia. She'll freak out. Remember when you told me that I was pregnant? I'd already had a kid before and i panicked. Imagine how Emily would react. Besides it's too early to even tell. These symptoms, they could just be symptoms could just be that she is getting her time of the month."

"It's not that," JJ stated, and Chris looked over at her, with a perplexed look, pushing herself against the door. "We spend so much time together that all of our cycles have regulated to being the same week. Haven't you noticed? So it won't be her time of the month."

"If we can't tell her, than what do we do?" Garcia asked, seeming a little lost as she looked at her best friend. JJ smiled, rubbing her neck with her hand. Chris pursed her lips, thinking hard as she tried to come up with a solution, before she gasped and clapped her hands together.

"We switch her coffee!" Chris exclaimed, and JJ rose her eyebrows, saying 'switch?'. Chris nodded rapidly, some hair coming loose from her twist and fallign around her face. "Switch it for decaffeinated. The relative studies into coffee and pregnancy account that it is the caffeine in coffee that causes there to be ill effects upon the baby. It stands that decaffeinated coffee has no ill effects in pregnancy."

"You sound like the lovable Doctor Reid," Garcia teased, and Chris rolled her eyes, but flushed as well, knowing that it did sometimes sound like she was her husband. Garcia looked over at JJ, who had a knowing look on her face. They all sometimes sounded like their partners... other than Garcia, who's personality was more dominating to Kevin's, meaning he sounded a little more like her rather than her like him.

"So we're switching her coffee? For how long?" JJ asked and Chris held up one finger.

"Why a week?" Garcia asked, and Chris pulled her phone out her pocket, going to her calender. She looked at it, and then at JJ, who spoke, trying to clear up the details of what might be happening to Emily.

"We get our cycles like clockwork, from the second of every month through to the eighth. If you were to go by the doctors way of calculating pregnancy, than Emily has been pregnant for a month already. It takes into account the shedding of the uterine wall, and ovulation as part of the pregnancy. She got pregnant a week ago, which means she would have been displaying her symptoms of ovulation the week previously, and she has just finished the fourth week," JJ explained, and Garcia blinked, not quite understanding.

"Technically, by next Saturday she'll have just gone through week five of pregnancy. That's if she's pregnant though," Chris shrugged. She hadn't been a nurse in a while, or pregnant for a year. Honestly she hadn't been keeping track of that stuff, being to busy with other things. Garcia hummed, finally understanding. If Emily didn't get her time of the month that week, then it was she was pregnant.

"Does that mean she might start throwing up this week?" Garcia asked, and Chris, plus JJ, winced in empathy, before nodding. Garcia cooed softly. "Poor sweetie. She's going to be so sick," Garcia pouted.

_-11:37am (Quantico, Virginia)-_

Emily stared at her coffee, a frown on her lips as she gazed into it's dark depths. It didn't taste like it normally did and the smell was nauseating. She was distracted from it though, as Reid whizzed by on a scooter. She opened her mouth, closed it, and then shook her head. He was a child sometimes, that man. Although, with the week he had endured, she would say that if anyone deserved to relax and act like a little kid again, it would be Reid.

"Hey kid, what are you doing man? I'm trying to work and your distracting me with your scooting around like that," Morgan complained, and Reid pouted, but propped his scooter against his desk and sitting down on the desk on the other side of the divider to Emily's. Chris looked up from where she was organising the budgets for the health projects, diagonally across from Emily, and smiled softly, before returning to her work. Emily chuckled and shook her head, running her hands through her ebony hair as she turned back to her screen.

Her mind had gone completely blank, and she really had no idea what she was doing. Frustrated, she leaned back in her seat, scowling. She was still mad at Hotch for ordering her like he had the day before, but honestly was starting to understand it. It was hard for him to switch off, just like it was hard for her and he was always in 'boss' mode, until he walked through his front door. Even then he had a difficult time to let go.

It was why Haley had left him. She hadn't been able to handle his dedication to his job or the fact that sometimes he put the job before her and Jack. Although truthfully Emily believed that they had separated long before that, unconsciously. Haley had already let him go every time he walked out the front door, more and more and he had let her go the minute he chose his job over Haley.

It had just been a matter of time before Haley left completely. Emily had never voiced this, of course. Hotch would blow up and Emily had seen how explosive his temper was. He had beaten George Foyet to death with his bare hands after George had killed Haley. It had been terrifying to see and her heart had nearly shattered as she watched Morgan pull Hotch from the serial killers dead body.

"Excuse me? I'm looking for Charissa James," a voice asked, and Emily looked up to see a man standing between Morgan and Emily's desks. He was dressed smartly, wearing a black suit with a blue shirt that had the top two buttons undone. He was handsome, between the age of thirty-five and forty, with salt and pepper hair in messy peaks on his head. His hazel eyes were worn and tired, with dark shadows around them and his jaw was stubbly, not shaven for at least two days.

"Can I ask who you are?" Emily questioned, her eyes flicking over to Chris, who wasn't paying attention, her attention stuck on her computer. The man swallowed and looked between Morgan and Emily, before responding 'I'm her brother' softly, as if he was almost ashamed to say it. Emily's jaw fell and she looked at Reid, who sat up straighter, a confused expression on his face.

"Her brother?"

Morgan rose an eyebrow, eyeing the man distastefully while Chris began to stand, gathering some files. She still hadn't looked up, switching of her screen as she looked at her watch. "Guys, I have to go talk to Strauss about the budgets, can you-" she stopped talking when she looked up, seeing the man and she paled.

"Callan..." she whispered, her tone surprised and he smiled unevenly.

"Hey Kiss," he said and her jaw dropped. Then, her eyes shuttered and she tensed, a mask of coldness on her features. He shifted uneasily at the sudden change in her, and swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Actually, it's Allan now. Allan Fraser," he said, his tone slightly shaky and she grit her teeth. "I saw you on the news... you got changed your name to Chris."

"Yeah, I kinda had no choice. My father tried to kill me," she spat, icily. His jaw dropped, before sympathy fell onto his features. She shook her head sharply. "Don't you dare try and sympathise with me. You left right after he did it. I was ten years old and I had to go into witness protection and I was alone apart from Aunt Pippa. She died when I was nineteen. You didn't even try and get in touch."

"I'm sorry... I wasn't allowed. I wanted to but..." he tried and she grimaced, shaking her head in disgust. He went silent before exhaling heavily.

"Look, I didn't come here to fight... I just wanted to give you these," he stated, holding up a set of keys and Chris opened her mouth in confusion, before she slowly began to realise what it was. He smiled tightly, throwing them at her and she caught them in her hand. She gazed at them, the rusted 'LH' keyring, and old fashioned bronze key.

"You were at the Lake House? All this time... and you were at the Lake house?" she breathed, and her eyes started to rim with tears. She bit on her bottom lip, and the first tear slipped from her eye and down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away, and glared at him. "Go away. Just leave... please... I don't want to see you. Ever."

"I... okay... it was good to see you, Charissa. I'm glad to see you made something of yourself," he told her, and she looked away from him, down at her desk. He scuffed his shoe and put his hands in his pocket, bobbing his head in defeat. Emily couldn't help but feel some sympathy for the man, as he turned and left. Morgan and Reid looked at Chris, inquisitorial, who glared at them both, before chucking the keys into her drawer and lifting the files.

"Stop looking at me like that... I have work to do," she stated, and she gathered her files, turning and walking away. Reid turned to see Emily and Morgan, both of whom were watching with bewildered expressions. Morgan exhaled languidly, shaking his head and raising an eyebrow, while Emily's head tilted to the left, unable to speak for a moment.

"So that was the missing brother..." Morgan declared.


	13. 1 September 2012 Afternoon

**A/N: This is a Hotch/Emily story. The only difference in this from canon is that Doyle was the one who died (Morgan shot him) rather than Emily 'dying'.**

**Yay we got 50 reviews! Gimme a whoop whoop lol ;) So this chapter... both sweet, sad, fluffy and shocking all at the same time ;) Hope you all enjoy! Lets get hose reviews in yeah? Cause this story is going to be taking a dark turn, soon enough... someone may turn up, and someone may go missing... ¬.¬ see if you can guess who...**

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><p><strong>Alteration<strong>

_1 September 2012  
><em>_-13:15am (Washington, D.C)-_

Hotch stirred the pasta he was cooking, while Jack grated cheese into a special grating tub, so that none spilled out onto the side. His tongue was stuck out in concentration and his hair was messy, having been attacked with a hair-dryer after their water-fight only half an hour ago.

"Daddy, have I done enough yet?" Jack piped up, and Hotch looked at him over the shoulder, before setting his wooden spoon on the rim of the pot and crossing over to his son. He looked into the tub, and saw that it was half full. Jack stared at him eagerly, and Hotch finally put him out of his misery, messing up his hair more.

"That's plenty, Jack, thank you," Hotch assured the boy, and Jack grinned, pleased that he could help his Daddy for once and Hotch beamed back. "You can go watch Nickelodeon now," Hotch said. Jack looked sheepish as he nodded rapidly and then bounced down from his chair, over to the television. He dropped onto the edge of the couch, grabbing the television remote and flicking through the channels to his favourite one to watch Spongebob.

Shaking his head in amusement, Hotch drained the pasta into a strainer and added the tomato and pepper sauce, heating it through on the hob before turning it off. The corners of his lips turned up, as he inhaled the smell of the home-made sauce. It was a simple meal, easy to cook, yet tasty. Hotch frowned for a moment, as he pondered if Emily was still mad at him for before, but distracted himself from it.

If he thought about it, he would start to feel more guilty for it. He really didn't want to believe he had screwed up their relationship barely a week in because he couldn't turn off. Falling into his role as Acting Unit Chief, ordering others to complete tasks and inability to waver his focus from his tasks, was something he had done a lot, not on purpose, during his relationship with Haley. He was so into his work that all to often, it was hard to let go when he walked through the front door.

It had already tore apart one of his relationships, if it broke this one down... and it was Emily. Emily who had been by his side for the last six years, ready to go into some of the most dangerous situations with him. She had been there through his divorce, through Haley's death. She had looked after Jack when he couldn't... she had stood by him for so long, and if this was what tore them apart, if he couldn't hold onto her... then he might as well just give up.

"Daddy, Auntie Emmy is here!" Jack called, and Hotch furrowed his eyebrows. He was going to have to talk to Jack about answering the door on his own. Wiping his hands, he moved into the living room, to see Emily with her head in her had, sitting on the couch, hunched over. Hotch furrowed his eyebrows, feeling worried as he stepped towards her. Jack stood next to her, tugging on her arm and asking what was wrong.

"Emily? Are you okay?" Hotch asked, sitting down next to her and Emily looked at him, sniffing. She nodded, but her eyes were rimmed red. Jack frowned, and the climbed up onto the couch, putting his arms around her neck and hugging her tightly. Emily chuckled wetly, and wrapped her arms around Jack, who buried his head in her hair.

"It's gonna be okay, Auntie Emmy. It doesn't matter what happened, cause it's gonna be okay," Jack reassured her, in that innocent, seven year old way he had, believing that everything was going to be fine in the end. Emily laughed and nodded, saying 'I know'. She wiped her eyes, sniffing again and inhaling shakily. She pulled away from Jack and smiled at him, which he smiled back to.

"I'm fine, Jack. Don't worry about me, yeah? Go play with your toys for a minute," she questioned and he eyed her, cautiously, before he bobbed his head, slipping from the couch and through the apartment to his bedroom to play. Emily exhaled deeply, wiping under her eyes with her thumbs and chuckling to herself. "I don't even know why I am crying. It wasn't even that big a fight."

"Fight? With who?" Hotch asked, an Emily furrowed her eyebrows, responding 'Chris'. Hotch rose his eyebrows. Chris had a temper, sure, but it usually fused out after about a minute. She didn't do well with conflict and if she did get into an argument it lasted approximately five minutes before she apologised. Emily looked at Hotch, licking her lips. "Why were you fighting with Chris?"

"Her brother came in today," Emily told him. Hotch frowned, recalling his knowledge of Chris's family. She had two brothers, one dead and and one missing. He was going to take a wild guess and say that Emily meant the one who had been missing. "Chris basically told him she never wanted him to contact her again. I didn't get it. He is the only blood family she has left and she kicked him out the door as soon as he arrived. And then, Garcia and I checked up on him, his alias, and he has terminal cancer, Aaron."

"And you told Chris," Hotch finished for her. Emily dipped her head in admittance, causing Hotch to scowl to himself and rub her back, trying to be supportive and failing slightly. There was obviously more to the story. He understood Chris's side, she had issues with her family that only years of therapy could combat, however he needed to understand what Emily had said that would cause Chris to argue. "How did Chris react?"

"She dismissed it. I just don't understand why she did it. He's her family. They were screwed up, sure, but they were family. Why did she push him away?" Emily was confused. And upset. And she didn't get why. Her eyes were tearing up and she didn't know why and she felt miserable and she just couldn't understand it. Her lip trembled and she wiped her eyes quickly. Hotch reacted instantly, wrapping his arms around her shaking form. "I didn't mean to get into that fight with her. I should have stopped pushing her. But I just couldn't..."

"Emily... it's fine... Chris doesn't stay mad... she'll have forgiven you by tomorrow, you know that. You are working yourself up for no reason," Hotch comforted, rocking her slightly like he did when Jack was upset. Emily cried 'I know' shakily, unable to stop. Jack peeked into the living room from the entrance to the hallway, confused and then ran over to the couch grabbing onto Emily's hand.

"Don't cry, Auntie Emmy! It's going to get better! We can play together and I'll share my toys and we can eat the yummy pudding Daddy made. But you can't cry!" Jack insisted and Emily gazed at him, hiccuping slightly. Jack looked close to crying as he tugged on her hand. "Please don't cry! When people cry bad things happen," he whimpered and Emily gaped, sorrow piercing her heart at the scared expression on Jack's face.

"I'm so sorry, Jack... I didn't mean to upset you," Emily whispered and Jack swallowed. Emily pushed herself away from Hotch, and held her arms open for him. Jack launched himself forward, holding onto her tightly. Hotch looked at them both worried, and Emily smiled at him, suddenly feeling a lot calmer than she had previously. Hotch furrowed his eyebrows at her rapid shift in mood, but said nothing.

"Hey, you two, how about we have some lunch now," he suggested, and Emily nodded. She was starving.

_-14:30pm (Washington, DC)-_

"Well, today wasn't weird at all," JJ stated, as she moved across her bedroom from the en-suite to the large chest of drawers, taking out her earrings and unclasping her necklace before she set them in her jewellery box She had just got home from the office, and she had gone up to her room to get changed into something more comfortable for around the house. Will sat on the bed, watching her and she came towards him.

Lazily he roped his arms around her waist, pulling her towards him and she put her hands on his shoulders, thinking to herself.

"God... I can't go to work without there being some sort of drama, can I?" she muttered, although her tone was playful. He gave a raspy laugh, grey eyes sparkling as he gazed up at her. She leaned down and kissed him softly, before straightening again.

"You do work in the BAU, sweetheart. You job is like a television drama," he told her, voice husky, and she laughed, like bells, responding 'Like you can say any better, Detective'. Then she sobered, sighing deeply. He squeezed her waist tightly, not liking the look of melancholy on her beautiful face. He brought one arm from her waist and cupped her cheek, stroking it with his thumb. "Talk to me, Jen."

"It's just... they are my friends, my family... Seeing them arguing and seeing them upset makes me feel so ineffective. I want them to be happy, but it seems like ever since we got Hotch and Emily together... everything seems to be going wrong," JJ breathed and Will shook his head, standing from the bed to look her in the eye. "Did I make a mistake, doing this? Because it feels like I did.."

"Oi... you didn't make a mistake. You were just looking out for your friends. Jen, you saw something that they both wanted, and you gave them it by turning them to each other. Who knows how long it would have taken them to get it together if you hadn't taken initiative," he pushed. She smiled slightly, and he beamed at her, pressing his lips to hers playfully. She giggled and wound her arms around his neck. Her expression was coy as moved her face away from his biting her lip.

"Do you ever think about having another baby?" she questioned and he rose an eyebrow, his eyes lazy as always as he looked down at her. She felt her body begin grow warm under his gaze, lusty and heated before he pulled her tightly to him.

"With a fiancée that looks like you, making babies... is the only thing I ever think about..." he rumbled, gutturally and she squealed happily when he spun them and pinned her to the bed, on top of their blue striped sheets.

The bedroom was a simple, yet elegant affair, a portrait of the family above the headboard of the bed in black and white with an ornate white frame. The bed was white-painted wood, with white bedside tables and a white chest of drawers to the side of the room. There was a rocking chair in the corner and a television at the end of the bed, against the wall.

"Oh, Mr LaMontagne... such a dirty man..." she teased and he chuckled roughly, his lips vibrating against the inside of her neck. The tickled her flesh as they moved slowly up the length of her neck, before he bit the bottom of her ear gently.

"How would you feel about having another baby? Do you think you can handle all that morning sickness... swollen ankles... raging hormones... again?" he reminded her, and JJ pondered it, a soft glow about the young mother as she played with the short hair at the base of Will's neck. He lowered himself so he was resting over her, on his elbows. Her blond hair fanned around her head like a halo, and not for the first time, she looked like an angel to him.

"I think it would be worth it..." she breathed, and he smirked at her, stroking the soft, smooth skin of her cheek. He kissed her softly, and she radiated warmth, her ocean blue eyes glowing, flecks of green in her irises. "It might be good... for Henry as well... he might like having a little brother or sister to play with..."

"How about... we just stop not trying to have a baby?" he suggested, and she looked puzzled, unsure about what he meant. Will chortled at the look, and rubbed his nose against hers, the gesture loving and comfortable. "Well, if we just stop using protection... it'll happen in it's own time... no forcing it to happen, no pressure... just nature..."

"So basically... we're not trying, but we're not not trying?" she queried. He wound his fingers and chuckled, responding 'exactly'."Of course, we can't start 'not not trying' until after next week," she stated with a smirk and he groaned, his dark haired head falling next to hers. She sniggered, and kissed his cheek, leaning over him. "You have to pick Henry up from his play date anyway."

"You are a tease, my love," he grumbled, placing a long, hard kiss on her soft, pink lips. She hummed in delight, placing her hand on either side of his face while he clutched her hips, rolling her over onto her back. Nipping at his bottom lip playfully, she pulled back and rose a perfectly arched blond eyebrow at him, tapping his nose with a manicured finger. He groaned, and pushed himself up, and onto his feet. "I know... I know... Got to pick up Henry."

"You are a good man, William LaMontagne Junior," she sang. He grumbled in response, leaving her to get changed so he could pick up Henry.

_-15:03pm (Washington, D.C)-_

Morgan watched as Chris stroked his dog, Clooney's head, a soft, yet dark look on her face as she did so. They both sat on his sofa, Chris with her legs folded under her, shoes on the hardwood floor and Morgan sprawled out, arms along the back of the grey cushions, legs spread. The Alsation sat between them, his head on Chris's lap, her hand buried in his fur. The silence was deafening between them, and even Clooney seemed to feel it, whimpering.

"Sugar mama, you are gonna have to talk about this at some point," he finally broke the silence, and Chris scoffed. Morgan gave her pointed look, which she steadily ignored. He ducked his head, trying to catch her eye, and grabbed her chin, turning her face to look her in the eyes. They were empty, dark and depth-less. She pulled his hand from her face and slumped, exhaling heavily.

"I haven't talked about it... ever. Spencer knows what he's read. I thought it was only fair that he got to read my file, if I spend so much time reading his, but he doesn't know the express details. He knows everything about me, yeah, but he has enough of his own nightmares. I can't let him have mine as well," Chris told him, and Morgan cocked his head to the side.

"You know... I'm sure the kid wouldn't mind if you told him. You can't keep this all in your head, Chris, it'll drive you crazy," he stated, frowning at her. Clooney sat up and hopped off the couch, disappearing through to the kitchen to get something to eat from his food dish. Chris reached up to her head, loosening the French twist her hair was wound into and letting it fall around her shoulders, shaking it loose.

"Damn, sugar mama, if you had pulled that move seven years ago I would have been all over you."

"I didn't know you seven years ago," she stated, rolling her eyes. "And if I remember correctly, didn't I turn you down?" she pointed out, and for a moment her mood was lightened, before she looked at the key that she had been clutching since she left the office. She held it up, shaking her head in dark amusement. Morgan rose an eyebrow, and reached over, taking it from her.

"It was my granddad's Lake House. He gave the key to my mom before he died."

"And your brother took it?" Morgan questioned, a disbelieving expression on his face. Chris nodded, shifting so she was resting her chin on her knees, her arms around her legs. Morgan whistled low, starting to get why Chris had been mad, and at the same time upset, at her brothers return. Morgan's eyebrows lowered over his eyes, a rather mean expression on his features as he chucked the key into a bowl on the coffee table.

"You won't tell Reid about it? Alright, tell me."

"Derek... don't. I don't need to talk about and I don't want to," she breathed, her eyes falling to the cushion of the couch. Morgan exhaled heavily, realising that this tactic of persuasion was not going to work. Chris was a stubborn mule when she didn't want to do something. But this was something she would have to talk about, because he wasn't going to let up until she did.

"Chris. You were in Witness Protection from the age of nine. Even now, you still don't go by the name you had when you were born. You refuse to acknowledge your life before the age of nine. Chris, that's not healthy. You joke about being in Witness Protection, and you can be as sarcastic as hell about it. You don't even flinch when we have a case involving a family annihilator or domestic abuse," he said and she grit her jaw, not wanting to listen to him.

"Chris, for nine years, you lived with a man that was abusive, narcissistic and psychotic. That's enough to send some people crazy. Some become serial killers themselves. None of them are able to look at a case that is that similar to their own, and not react. I've known you six years. You cry about everything, except your childhood and except things that really matter," he pushed. Chris unfolded, setting her feet on the floor, growing more and more frustrated. "Nine years, Chris... nine years he had you."

"What do you want me to tell you, Derek? That I was two years old the first time he beat me? That before that, my mom was able to protect me, but then couldn't? Derek, it's nothing I want to talk about. Twenty one years, Derek. I've lived with it for twenty one years. I don't need to talk about it!" she exclaimed, angry. He stared at her.

"We all have pasts, Chris. But we talk about them. Maybe not with each other, but we talk about them to someone. You don't talk to anyone," he pointed out and Chris stood, pacing and shaking her head rapidly. He shot up as well, leaning over and grabbing the key from the bowl and holding it in front of her face. "This is all you have left of your family. This key. And you can't even look at it."

"Why are you doing this! Why? What do you want me to do? Talk about it? Go to the Lake House?" Chris questioned, her voice high and in the kitchen Clooney whined, retreating under the table at the sound of it. Morgan sighed and put his hands on her shoulders, making her look at him.

"If that's what you got to do, sugar mama, than that's what I want you to do. You can't keep hiding from it. We'll be here, if you need us, but Chris, you gotta face this," he stated, and she inhaled, shaking slightly as she bowed her head. Looking up at him, she bit her lip. He held up the keys, with a soft look.

"You want to go to the Lake house?" he asked gently and she looked at the keys, almost fearfully, before she took them from him.

"Okay," she breathed unevenly.

_-16:21pm (Washington, D.C)-_

Emily and Hotch looked at Jack, who was staring at them with a confused expression. His eyebrows were low over his eyes and his lips pouted as he eyed the two adults.

"Jack? Are you okay?" Emily asked, worried. He blinked at her, before he bobbed his head. "Jack, if you don't want me to be with your daddy, I understand. We don't want to do anything that would make you upset."

"She's right, Jack. If you aren't happy with this, then we won't continue," Hotch stated, diplomatically. Jack gave them both a completely innocent look, before he slid off the seat he was sitting on at the round dinner table. He scampered down the hallway to his bedroom, and Emily's mouth fell open slightly, as she turned to read Hotch, who had a brooding expression on his face.

"What does that mean?" Emily asked, and he responded 'I don't know' honestly, deeply, before he sat down in the seat next to her. Emily licked her lips, her hands clasped in her lap. What if that meant he was rejecting her? Her heart ached. If being rejected by Hotch was painful, then being shunned by his son was so much more agonizing. Unconsciously, her arms wrapped around her stomach.

She had thought that Jack liked her... Emily had really hoped that he would want her to be there. For some reason, she just felt the need to be near him, to love him. He needed to be loved so much, not just by Hotch and Jessica. It was excruciating that he was turning her away. Emily's stomach actually felt like it was twisting, and for a minute she thought she was going to be sick. It wasn't the first time, after Hotch had served up their lunch, with the garlic bread, she had nearly been sick then as well.

It was for completely different reasons now though. Now it felt like there was a hole inside her, like some part of her had been viciously ripped out. It brought something she had once head to the forefront of her mind. _'There is an instinct to love most her own child - and an instinct to make any child that needs her love, her own'_. She had done that. Emily had given her all to help look after Jack because she had seen that he needed it. Needed support and love. Both things she had more than enough off to give.

Hotch reached over and squeezed her knee, silently offering his support. She smiled unevenly, her head tilting to the side, before she inhaled deeply and looked over to the hallway which Jack had gone down. She sat up straighter when she saw Jack coming down the hallway, holding several pieces of paper and drawings. He dropped them onto the table, climbing up onto the chair he had left.

"Jack, buddy, what are these? You never showed me these drawing before," Hotch stated, and Jack looked at him, sheepishly. The boy shrugged his shoulders, and mumbled 'I didn't want to make you mad', as Emily picked up one of the drawings and looked at it. There was her and Hotch and Jack in the centre. Her and Hotch were holding hands, with smiles on their faces and Jack was next to them with a big smile on their faces. In the corner was Haley, with wings and surrounded by yellow lines to signify she was glowing.

"Mommy's an angel because she is heaven. Daddy always says that she is watching over us," Jack told her, and Emily nodded slightly, more interested in the labelling of the drawings. The one she looked was labelled 'My Family' and above Hotch was 'Daddy', above Jack was his name, and next to Haley, in big orange letters was the label 'Mommy'. It was the label above her drawing that made her heart swell.

'Mommy Emmy' was written in orange above her, and Emily bit her lip, her eyes ghosting slightly. "Jack, these are really... really good..." she told the boy, who grinned proudly. Hotch's expression was carefully blank as he looked at the drawings, and Jack stared at him, wanting to know his Daddy's opinion for his drawings. Emily glanced at Hotch as well, her stomach fluttering as she saw the heat in his eyes.

"Aaron?" Emily whispered, gazing into the dark depths of them. He stared right back, and she jerked her head towards Jack, silently telling him to speak. Jack had stopped smiling now, and looked nervous, fidgeting in his seat. Hotch looked at him, unable to speak and Jack shrunk back into his seat.

"I didn't mean to make you mad, Daddy," he toned, and Hotch shook himself, looking at his only child. "I'm sorry... it's just, my friend Martin said that he has two mommy's and two daddies and I wanted Auntie Emmy to be my mommy! Cause she helps look after me and gives me presents and she loves me, so I wanted her to be my mommy, like my real mommy was."

"Jack... Emily is.." Hotch started, and he furrowed his eyebrows, not sure how to continue with the conversation. Emily put her hand on his arm, and he looked at her, before allowing her to take the lead.

"Jack, what your Daddy is trying to say, is that I am not your mommy. I'm your Daddy's girlfriend, and your friend, but I'm not your mommy. I would never try to replace Haley - I mean, your mommy- like that, okay?" Emily told the boy who nodded, frowning.

"But I know that. I don't want you to be my real mommy, I want you to be my Mommy Emmy. Like Martin's got a Mommy and his Mommy Beth," Jack told her, and Emily rose her eyebrows, humming to herself. "And you're Daddy's girlfriend, so that means you're my Mommy Emmy, right? Because Mommy Beth is Martin's Daddies girlfriend..." he trailed off, before his mouth fell open and his eyes widened. "You don't want to be my Mommy Emmy!"

"What? Of course I do, Jack! It's just a really complicated situation," she told him, but Jack just looked hurt, which made Emily feel more and more guilty. She turned to Hotch, eyes pleading for help and he quickly took the initiative, taking over.

"Jack, Emily would love to be your Mommy Emmy," he told his son, who's face lit up. Emily looked quickly at Hotch, her mouth falling open.

What the hell had he just said?


	14. 1 September 2012 Evening

**A/N: This is a Hotch/Emily story. The only difference in this from canon is that Doyle was the one who died (Morgan shot him) rather than Emily 'dying'.**

**Oh, warning, there is a bit in this chapter that's a little 'racy'. If that makes you uncomfortable please feel free to skip it. :) Lets get at least five reviews please :) I want to hear your opinions and what you think will happen next! **

**Happy reading! :)**

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><p><strong>Alteration<strong>

_1 September 2012  
><em>_-18:53pm (Washington, D.C)-_

Chris stepped into her house, and dumbed her bag and coat onto the table that was near the front door, exhaling languidly. She shook off her shoes, and they went under the table, out of place and un-organised. Kicking the door shut, she set the alarm and flicked the latch on the door, locking it. Padding softly through the house, she looked into the living room and smiled at Reid who was trying to get bubblegum out of James' hair.

"Hey," she breathed, and he looked up, wearing his horn-rimmed, thick lensed glasses and smiled helplessly at her, his long fingers sticky. He was completely at a loss on this. Anna and Eva had never had gum in heir hair, and both the girls had long hair now. In fact, Chris was at a loss to how James would even have bubblegum in his hair, until she remembered Reid's chewing habit.

"Can you... how do I get this out?" Reid asked helplessly, and she chuckled softly, crossing the room from the doorway to wear he sat on the couch. James sniffed, tears streaming over his round cheeks, face scrunched up. He held up his small chubby arms, wearing a blue baby grow and wailed 'Mamma' at her, desperate to be taken awy from his Daddy's tugging at his hair. Chris cooed at him, pressing kisses to his cheeks and liftign him.

"Aww, poor baby... did Daddy hurt you? I know... baby... I know," she soothed, before holding him to her and taking a look at the clump of green gum suck in his golden blond locks. James cried into her chest, his small fists holding onto her loose hair as she inspected the damage. Chris made it a point not to cut her children's hair. She wouldn't let James' hair get to long, of course, but Anna had hair that fell to her waist now, in loose curls and ringlets, while Eva's was to her mid-back, and thick and soft.

Currently, Anna was sitting on the floor, playing chess against her self with a concentrated question, wearing her favourite pink spotted nightgown, glasses balanced on her freckled nose. Her tongue was sticking out, and her toes wiggling, painted blue. Eva sat on their beanbag behind her, wearing a yellow ladybug sleep-suit, and sucking on her pacifier as turned the pages of her picture book, saying the words to what the pictures were around her pacifier.

James wailed again suddenly, causing Eva to startle and drop her book, large hazel eyes getting wider. The book slid onto the floor with a thud and the corner hit Anna's foot. Anna blinked in surprise before she cried out in pain and pushed away her chessboard, sending the pieces flying over the floor as she clutched her foot with tearful eyes. "Mommy! My foot hurts! Mommy!"

Anna's cries started a chain reaction in the other two children, James' wails intensifying and Eva's eyes starting to water and she spat out her pacifier. Chris closed her eyes, counting to ten before her eyes met Reid's. He moved from their cream sofa, and he went over to Anna, lifting the three years and eleven month old girl from the floor. She snorted and hugged him tightly, her foot no longer sore but wanting a cuddle.

Chris crossed over to Eva, bending down and kissing the three year old and one month child's forehead softly, cupping her cheek and wiping the tears in her eyes while still expertly holding James.

"It's okay, ladybug, no need to cry," Chris mollified her, and Eva rubbed her eyes, looking grumpy. Chris tutted, and kissed her again, this time on the nose. Her baby girl was tired, and she guessed that the babysitter hadn't gotten the girl to bed at the right time, because otherwise she wouldn't be so grumpy. "You want to help Mommy get the bubblegum out of Jammy-jam's hair?"

"No. I want milk," Eva pouted, and Chris shook her head. Eva scowled, and Chris nuzzled her nose, before sticking her pacifier in her mouth, raising an eyebrow. Eva grumbled, and softly batted Chris's cheek, but not enough to hurt her. James had stopped crying now, his small, round face red, lip wobbling.

"Come on, ladybug," Chris groaned as she straightened, her back angry at her for all the nights of sleeping on the plane. She balanced James on her hip, and held out her hand, which Eva took, pulling herself up onto her feet with an irritated grumble.

"I think it's bed time for the little princesses, don't you, Daddy?" Chris suggested, looking at her husband who had just gotten Anna to calm, the girl burying her face in his neck, sucking her thumb. For all the genius the girl had, she was still only a little girl. Reid concurred, swaying the sleepy girl. Eva moved over to Reid, taking his hand and leaning into it, rubbing her forehead on his hand.

"I'll let Paws and Puppy in," Reid told Chris, who smiled at him thankfully. She stepped towards him, and pressed her lips to his softly, her fingers tugging on his purple scarf playfully. His lips turned up, and Anna moaned, her hand bopping Chris' nose as she mumbled 'My Daddy' possessively. Chris chuckled and softly tapped her nose, before brushing Reid's lips with hers once more.

"Thank you, Spencer," she whispered airily, and he nodded slightly, before she looked down at James, who was raising a hand to his head, trying to reach the sticky mass. She rose her eyebrows, and bounced him once, causing him to blink and look at her with large brown eyes. "Come on, Jammy-jam, lets get this goo out of your lovely hair, yeah?"

She was speaking in gentle tones, as she always did with her children, even when she as reprimanding them. Chris was always careful about raising her voice when it came to the three Reid's, and she never thought about laying a hand on them, no matter how badly they behaved sometimes. Both Reid and her used their knowledge of Psychology to their advantage when it came to their children and their behaviour.

She carried him through to the kitchen, around their table and set him in his high-chair. She could see through the patio door that the sun was already starting to set, the sky a pinkish-orange colour. The two young dogs were bouncing around on the lawn, playfully scrapping. After about ten minutes, Chris knew they would tire out, it was why they always bought them in after they put the children to bed.

Puppy was a pure white American Eskimo Dog, their watchdog for any dangers that may come up. She was loyal, intelligent and affectionate and the children loved to play with her. Though they were supposed to sleep in the living room, Puppy almost always ended up on the rug in James room, curled up at the foot of his crib watching the bedroom door. Puppy was, for all intent and purposes, James' dog. James was attached to Puppy, as they had gotten the Eskimo dog shortly after James was born.

Paws was their pure black Belgian Sheepdog, a guard-dog rather than a watchdog. He energetic, and very good outdoors. If he could, he would sleep outside, but Chris preferred to have them inside at night, just in-case someone came in the garden over the wall to get into the house. He always slept in the hallway, facing the patio doors, directly in the middle between them and the front door. He was incredibly protective, and played herding games with Anna and Eva, although James tended to stay more with Puppy.

Chris looked around the cupboard, feeling for the smooth peanut butter, and smiled when she found it. Opening it, moved over to the table and pulled a chair out, moving it next to James' high chair. "Hold still, baby, Mamma's gonna get this out," she muttered, and he whimpered as she applied it to the hair and the gum. He bat her hand, but then let her do it once she stuck a pacifier in his mouth from the bowl at the centre of the dinner table. "Good boy."

The peanut butter slowly made the gum stringy, before it rolled out from the hair. Eventually it all came out, and she hummed along to the sound of Reid playing the piano to help Anna and Eva sleep. James sucked on his pacifier sleepily, scrunching up his nose. Making sure that all the gum was out, she stood and moved to her go bag, pulling out the tiny shampoo bottle she had taken from the hotel.

Chris put a few dabs into his hair where the gum had been, causing him to wince and move away, not liking the cold wetness of it. Chris quickly kissed his nose, stroking his cheek with her thumb.

"No flinching... you've been such a good boy, staying still, just a little longer..." she soothed. He whimpered, staring tearfully up at her. It broke her heart, as she moved and grabbed a clean wet cloth, returning to him and wiping the slender, silky strands of hair. He sniffed and she beamed at him, setting the cloth on the table behind her. Lifting him, she kissed his nose, and then rubbed hers against him. "What a brave boy, who's Mamma's brave little boy?"

"Mamma," he said, reaching out to her face and holding onto her ears. Giggling, she blew a raspberry over his stomach, before balancing him on her hip to take him up the stairs. She paused when Reid started to come down down the stairs, watching him with an almost adoring smile.

"They go down all right?" she asked and he looked at her, slightly perplexed. The corners of her mouth turned up as she knew what was away to happen. A lovely long lecture of something or other, by the expression on his face.

"If by 'down' you mean there was a sufficient influx in secretion from the pineal gland in response to the regulation of the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus from the retinal messages, causing them to go into circadian rhythms, then yes, they went 'down' alright," he told her, and she laughed softly, as he looked at her, slightly apprehensive, before he nodded once and passed her, going to let Paws and Puppy in. Chris frowned, and exhaled heavily, before she carried James up to his room, swaying him gently.

_-19:45pm (Washington D.C)-_

Emily honestly couldn't wait to just soak in her tub, with _Slaughter House 5_, and a glass of warm milk, seen as her body refused to let her consume wine or coffee. She put it to the fact that her time of the month was due. Nausea was something that very rarely affected her when TOM decided to pay his little visits, but it wasn't that rare that she wasn't used to it. Although... it was never normally this specific. It mostly covered everything that she came into contact with, sending her stomach into a swirling mess.

This though, seemed to be limited to alcohol, coffee, garlic and hot dogs...

Groaning, she rubbed the base of her back and locked her front door, setting the alarm. Sliding her arms out of her black jacket, she draped it over the top of the chest aong her stairwell as she passed it, kicking of her shoes. She went into the living room/kitchen and tutted, calling for Sergio. The sleek black cat bounded onto the bar, mewling to get her attention.

"Hello, Serg, aren't you looking pretty, kitty," she giggled, and he mewed against as he butt his head against her softly, moving around her face lovingly. She giggled and scratched under his chin, kissing his nose playfully before she checked his food bowl. It was empty. "Lets get you some dinner, yeah, puss?" she suggested, and the black cat meowed loudly in response as she took the Go-Cat out the cupboard and filled up the dry food bowl.

Sergio looked at her as if to say 'Is that it?' and she rose an eyebrow, smirking. "Don't think you are getting any more, kitty. You are developing a little bit of a gut there, you don't need any extra wet food," she told him, and Sergio mewed, before dropping down the the floor and going to eat. Emily shook her head, before going to her stainless steel fridge and pulling out the milk. She filled a mug with it, then added some some lemon and honey after heating it in the microwave. "You be good now, Sergio. I'm gonna take a bath."

Sergio ignored her, more than happy to keep eating as she checked that all the windows where latched and the door was locked. After making sure the alarms was on, she went over the the stairs, slowly treading up them. She had yet to take her Glock from her waist, and she wouldn't until she was safely upstairs, with her bath run and bathroom door locked.

Doyle hadn't just scared her, he had made her hyper-vigilant to anyone being in her home. It was why she had moved into an open plan apartment, with two floors. If anyone got through her defences on the bottom floor, she was going to make sure they never got to the second, and in plenty of time too.

Emily set her cell and her Glock on the edge of the bathtub, making sure to place a dry, folded towel under them to stop them getting wet, and she turned the taps, the hot on more than the cold. As she locked the door, the tub slowly began to fill, and Emily yawned, covering her mouth before taking a drink of her milk. She placed it next to her Glock and i-phone, and undid the top button of her trousers.

Her fingers nimbly made work of her white shirt buttons, and she slid it from her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor without a care. It lay there, slightly crumbled on the linoleum flooring. The mist that was starting to form in the room stuck to the creamy skin now exposed, causing her to chill slightly at the difference in temperature. She pushed her trousers down her legs and stepped out of them, stretching. Dipping her hand in the water, Emily checked the warmth and then turned the taps off.

She discarded her underwear and then slipped into the water, groaning loudly as it made contact with her chilled skin. The warmth of the water made goose-pimples erupt all over her. Emily closed her eyes in delight, the heat soothing her tired, aching muscles. Inhaling deeply, she smiled and rest her head against the small bath pillow she had, closing her eyes.

Before Emily realised it, she had fallen asleep, her breathing going heavy as she soaked in the delightfully warm water. Her head lolled to the side and Emily's arms fell under the water, the pressure of her feet against the other end of the tub the only thing keeping her upright.

_Fingers slid from her hip, up over her stomach and around her neck. The pulled her closer, and she moaned as lips caressed her neck. She arched when a hand slid down her front, over pert, sensitive skin. The hand cupped her left breast and massaged it softly, kneading the flesh. _

_A heavy groan caused her to shudder and she gazed lustfully up at the dark haired man that was soliciting the almost painful responses in her body, responses that hadn't been bought in far too long._

_The heated look in his eyes was almost as undoing as he exploring fingers, as they dipped down into the banding of her underwear. Emily inhaled sharply, head falling back as a finger moved against her and she clenched her fists around the bed covers. It was so hot... so wet..._

_Everything around her slid from her mind, and the world was quiet other than the hum of their skin moving against each other. Those eyes, that could be so cold, so unforgiving, where tormenting her with the sensuality they held in the dark depths. _

_He was wearing far too many clothes... far too many... Emily's hand moved up, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt, before she realised that she wasn't going to get them undone. Scowling, she grabbed the collar of his shirt and tore it open. Her eyes ran over his chest, taking in the expansive muscles, and then gasping at the scars from the Foyet attack. _

_"Oh.." the groan of agony at his pain was quickly transformed into one of unadulterated please when she felt his finger move. He bit at her lip, and then kissed down her neck. His tongue slid over the soft, creamy skin of her breast before he took it into his mouth and-_

Emily sat up sharply, gasping for breath. The water sloshed around her, over the edge of the bathtub and splashing onto the floor, soaking through her clothes. Her body ached, for entirely different reasons than before, and she swallowed, her throat dry as she looked around. Shaking herself, Emily turned to see her i-phone vibrating on the towel. Squeezing her eyes shut, she attempted to calm herself as she dried her hands, looking to see who it was.

She scowled when she saw it was Hotch, and prayed that it wasn't a case. She was exhausted, and, because of that dream... aroused as hell. Sliding the bar, she put the phone to her ear, causing ripples in the warm water. "Hello?" she mumbled, slipping back into the water and resting her head on the pillow again. The water swirled and swished, lapping at her skin.

"Is this a bad time?" Hotch's voice asked, and Emily exhaled heavily, setting her i-phone back on the towel and putting it on speaker phone. She felt honest to god exhausted, and if she held the phone she would drop it, something she was sure of. Responding 'no' she made a ripple in the water, watching as it danced along the surface. "I want to apologise for today. I put you in an uncomfortable position and I am sorry for that."

"Aaron, it's fine. I love Jack, you know that," she responded tiredly. She was starting to get sick of this constant apologies he seemed to give her. He seemed to be under the impression he was always doing something wrong, and while he occasionally made mistakes, like making a decision without talking to her about it first, he was doing fine. They had only been dating a week, but Emily had known Hotch well for nearly seven years. He didn't need to be so sorry for everything.

"I understand that, but you wanted to take things slow. My son calling you 'Mommy Emmy' is not slow, and I rushed you into that," Hotch argued and Emily rolled her eyes. She went to say something, but he spoke again. "Can I come over? I think this is something we need to talk about in person, rather than over the phone."

"Aaron, I'm in the bath," she said, and as if to prove it, she rose a hand and dropped it, making a splash in the water. There was silence on Hotch's end of the phone, and Emily frowned, before exhaling heavily. "Fine. You have the key, right?" she asked, and he gave the affirmative. "Great... the alarm is on."

"I remember the code," he told her, voice deep and strong. Emily hummed in acknowledgement.

They had, after the Foyet attack, taken turns to swap keys and alarm codes. Hotch had Emily's key and code, and she had his key and code. Chris and Reid had the key and code to Rossi's home, while Rossi had the key and code for Morgan's. Morgan had JJ's key and code and JJ had the key and code for Garcia's, who had Chris and Reid's key and code. It meant that if something like Foyet's attack happeend again, someone would have access to the house or apartment to check in.

"I'll see you in twenty then," Emily replied. Hotch concurred, and then there was a sharp click that signified his hanging up. Emily rose her eyebrow, Hotch never let someone hang up on him. He always hung up first, she was beginning to notice. She knew that it was part of his need to be in control. It wasn't an insane, out of hand need, but just one that determines that he was still the one in charge.

She leaned back, staring at the white ceiling above her head, before groaning loudly. Hooking her toe around the chain attached to the bath plug, she yanked it out, lying in the tub as the water slowly drained and swirled down the drain. Her skin chilled and she shivered, reaching over the edge of the bathtub for her white, fluffy towel. Emily dragged it over the edge of the bath and covered her front with it, getting to her feet cautiously.

Stepping over the bath edge, Emily wrapped it tightly around her form, water sliding down her creamy skinned legs and pooling on the floor. So much for a nice relaxing bath. She scowled as she lifted her milk, finishing it off and yawning again. The initial rush after her dream was starting to slide, her heart rate returning to normal. The flush in her cheeks, the red tint to her skin was now caused by the lasting effect of the warm water, rather than her raised basal temperature.

Grabbing her Glock, she put it in her cleavage, holding onto her towel tightly. Emily lifted her i-phone and twisted the lock to the bathroom, with some difficulty. After she left, she walked quietly down to the hall to her bedroom, turning the lights off behind her. The bedroom door was already open, and she walked in to see Sergio purring to himself on her bed, curled up into a ball as he slept on the white fluffy throw Emily left draped over the end.

She shaking her head in amusement, Emily dropped her Glock and phone onto the bed before crossing to her walk-in wardrobe. After securing herself some clean panties, and wrapping herself in her soft, thick fleecy dressing gown, she put her Glock in her bedside drawer and tucked her i-phone into her dressing gown pocket. Traipsing back to the bathroom, she lifted her mug and then went downstairs, deciding to sit on the sofa and watch the reruns of _Emotional Cages_ on Lifetime until Hotch arrived.

Huddled up in the corner of the sofa, with a pillow under her head and legs folded under her, she yawned once more, feeling completely wiped.

_-20:12pm (Washington, D.C)-_

She could feel his eyes on her, watching her and when she looked up, she was proven correct to see those familiar far too emotional pools of darkness gazing at her. Licking her lips, Chris sighed and set her laptop on the floor, shifting so she was turned to him completely. Reid blinked, his eyebrows knitting together. Chris took a deep breath, and closed her eyes, before gazing intently at him.

"I don't remember the first time," she stated, and his curiosity peaked, moving to face her completely. His legs crossed and he clasped his hands in his lap while she paused, processing her words before she said them. "Apparently, when I was a toddler, I refused to sleep. I used to sit and scream at the top of the stairs. My mom was always the first one to reach me and calm me, before my father could get to me."

"That's just typical child behaviour though. Anna refused to sleep until she was two, as a result of separation anxiety. We had to coax her into bed," Reid spoke, and Chris ducked her head, nodding slightly.

"The first time, I was told, I was refusing to sleep and he got to me before my mother could. My mother said that afterwards he came down and told her he thought he had killed me," she told him and Reid paled. Chris laughed to herself, shaking her head, humourlessly. Reid recognised the hopelessness in her eyes, and nearly reached out to her, but stopped himself after reading her behaviour. She was closed off, despite the things she was telling him, wrapping her arms around her knees and eyes shadowed.

"After that, it became a regular thing. If my mother passed out because of the beatings, he moved onto me. I used to make Kathy hide under the bed... with her hands over her ears behind our toys so he couldn't find her..." Chris' eyes were starting to rim with tears and she licked her lips, which felt dry all of a sudden. She felt terrified and she felt vulnerable, both things that irritated the hell out of her.

"It was like that for seven years. He would hit me, kick me, spit on me... My mother left him five times, and every time he dragged us back. Fraser had already gone. When I was born, he was fifteen, Callan was ten. Fraser left and joined the army, and Callan was never home. He was always staying at his friends homes to avoid his father. My mother stabbed him once, and_ he_ called the police on_ her_," she straightened her legs, so they were stretched along the couch, her feet in his lap.

Reid knew how to handle this situation. He had BA's in psychology and sociology. He had memorized books on dealing with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and even dissertations from famous psychologists and therapists on Child Abuse and how to deal with the effects of child abuse. But this wasn't a stranger that he didn't know needing counselling. It was his wife.

"The last time we left, I was nine. He hunted us down, and he beat my mother until she died. He was covered in her blood, and he had this manic look in his eyes. All he said was that we needed to be 'punished'... It was all he ever said... That we needed to be punished, that we were dirty and filthy and we needed to be broken down so we wouldn't misbehave... Once she died, he moved onto me and battered me until I went unconscious," Chris stopped, her breathing shaky, and she squeezed her eyes shut.

Twenty-one years... and she could still feel every blow, every strike on her flesh. She could feel the ache in her bones that he had broken, and she swallowed as the feeling of intense fear that she had felt all those years ago began to creep over her again, making her hair stand on edge and her heart begin to beat more rapidly. She began to perspire and she wiped her forehead with the back of her arm, entire body tense.

"He must have thought I was dead because when I woke up, he had moved onto Kathy... he found her..." she trailed off, and Reid understood what she was saying. He killed her sister. "I called the police. By the time he heard the sirens, Kathy was dead. The last thing he said to was 'You will be punished' before he ran. They came, took me into care. Hotch looked after me, those first twenty-four hours afterwards."

"I read that in your file," Reid mentioned quietly and she looked at him, her eyes sparkling and tears sliding silently down her cheeks. He shifted uncomfortably, before he moved towards her and wrapped his arms around her. He wasn't good with emotions. He was a factual person, and for all his genius, dealing with women and emotions were not his strong points.

But years before, Chris had let him talk to her, claiming 'she wasn't a therapist, but his friend'. Now, she was hsi wife, and he needed to be near her, and hold her. Because whatever support he could offer, he would try. She burrowed into him, crying softly as she clung to his shirt. "I... I went into witness protection... and the other kids at school... they didn't get why I was so scared all the time... why I couldn't be around any of the male teachers or boys... why I panicked when someone touched me... so they... they were mean..."

"Children don't accept things they don't understand," Reid whispered, resting his forehead on top of her head, burying his nose into her hair. The soft smell of coconut seeped into his senses and he held her tighter, closing his eyes as his own memories, recent and far off, of bullies and the harm they could do filled his mind.

"I tried... I tried to put it behind me... and move on... and be normal... but it was always there... that fear that he was coming to get me... and then he did," Chris sobbed. Reid remembered that. It was one of the worst moments of his life. For a moment, he had seriously believed that they wouldn't make it in time to save her.

If he lost Chris... he'd most likely go insane.

_-20:24pm (Washington, D.C)- _

Emily felt herself being shaken, and opened her eyes wearily to see Hotch looking down at her, as stoic and severe as ever. She sat up, her mouth falling open as she yawned and leaned on her elbows.

"Aaron... I... I guess I fell asleep," she mumbled, slightly disorientated. She shook herself, as he sat down on her coffee table. He wore jeans, and a black tee-shirt under a blue shirt. On his feet were blue suede shoes, whch made her raise an eyebrow slightly, and his hair was flattened against his head, wet.

"You have been falling asleep like that more and more lately," he observed and she she exhaled heavily, rolling her eyes and responding 'It's nothing'. She was a grown woman, she could look after herself. "Maybe you are coming down with something. You should take some time off work if that's the case. I can't have my agents compromised," he informed her, and she was able to read between the lines, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, your agents? Is that all I am, because if so... I may just have to remove all kissing privileges. I'm pretty sure that its against regulations to make out with your boss," Emily teased. He gave her a blank look, and she chuckled to herself, as she sat up properly, propping herself against the pillows. She eyed him curiously. "Is this some sort of intervention, Aaron, because you look far too serious for after eight o'clock."

The corners of his lips turned up slightly in amusement, and his features softened as he gazed at her, his eyes darkening at the exposed skin of her shoulder. She flushed, and pulled it back up over her shoulder. He coughed slightly, embarrassed at getting caught and she grinned in response, before speaking. "You wanted to talk, Aaron."

"Yes, you're right. I do want to talk about our relationship, and the speed it's going," he told her, and Emily couldn't help but think for a moment that he sounded a little bit like Reid. He looked agitated, which made Emily start to tense. If he was going to break up with her after today... she might actually pistol whip him, boss or not. "Emily, the position I put you in today was unfair. I should have asked yo about your feelings before allowing Jack to call you... 'Mommy Emmy'."

"No offence, Aaron, but that is bullshit," she cut in, and he froze, staring at her with a brooding expression. She leaned forward, her eyes sharp. "I love Jack. You know I love Jack, and you know perfectly well that Jack calling me 'Mommy Emmy' is not a problem for me. I am honoured that he holds me in such high esteem. So this is not a problem I have, Aaron, it's a problem you have."

"Don't profile me, Prentiss," Hotch growled, and she grit her teeth, eyes flashing dangerously. He was not going Supervisory Special Agent on her, not now. Not when they were finally going to have a conversation that was actually important.

"I'm not profiling you, Hotch. I'm pointing out things you should already know. You are so paranoid, so worried of doing something wrong, that every time we make a bit of an advance in our relationship, you apologise for it. Hotch, you always think that your are doing something wrong, even when you're not. I'm not Haley. I have stuck by you, through everything. I was there after Foyet, after New York and after your divorce. I have seen you at your worst and I was _still there_, Hotch," she said, her voice even and clipped.

Hotch didn't blink, didn't waver in his gaze as she spoke, her expression grim, and eyes clearly irritated. "I am not leaving you, Hotch. We have been through enough, even before we decided to start this relationship, that would make it near impossible for me to do so," she declared, her voice full of conviction. Emily knew that even if they had never decided to at least give this a shot she wouldn't be able to leave him, or the BAU.

Standing by his bedside after he had been tortured by Foyet had only cemented that fact.

Emily sighed, and took his hands in hers, softening her features. Hotch didn't react well to hostility. If she wanted to get through to him, she was going to need to be slow and be gentle about it. He had been hurt too many times before too immediately trust her in their relationship, despite how close they were before they even got together.

"Aaron, I'm not Haley. I can handle it. I can handle not being able to go on dates, I can handle working odd hours and having my life interrupted by cases. It's something that we are both used to. You are scared that this isn't going to go well, that we will break up and it will interfere with our work relationship but Aaron it won't," she insisted.

"It's impossible to know that, Emily. If this goes wrong, it will not only impact upon us, but on our entire department. Strauss will shut us down for fraternisation. We would both lose our jobs," he stressed, and she rolled her eyes. A small smile fell onto his lips at the complete dismissal of those statements. There were few times when Emily Prentiss adopted her old attitude of 'screw authority', but for the sake of her relationship, she was pretty much going back down that route.

"Then we don't let it go wrong," she argued, and he shook his head at her, causing her to smirk, before turning serious again. Her voice was tender as she spoke, her eyes calm and temperate as she observed him. "Don't worry so much, Aaron. Thing's will fall into place naturally. So, our relationship is happening out of order, but what else could we have expected after how we got together in the first place."

He scoffed slightly, and she tilted her head with a soothing look. Hotch furrowed his eyebrows, thinking hard about what she was saying. His expression was contemplating and he stroked the back of her hands with his thumb. The skin was soft and smooth under his thumb and with every stroke of it, Emily felt herself start to become more and more aroused, her body reacting to his touch in sharp ways, her temperature rising.

"Aaron..." she whimpered slightly, and he looked at her, eyes darkening slightly. Emily's tongue dared out between her lips, and she licked them, her mouth suddenly feeling dry. Lustful eyes followed the movement and Emily's cheeks reddened, swallowing as her own eyes darted down to his lips. Hotch leaned forward, moving his hands to her waist and pressed his lips against hers, pushing her back against the couch. Her hands went to his shoulders, holding onto them tightly as she responded, arching against him.

Sergio mewed from the stairway, but was left unnoticed.

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><p><strong>Read and Review, please :) <strong>**Lets get at least five yeah ;)**

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**What do you think is going to happen next?**


	15. 6 September 2012 Morning

**A/N: This is a Hotch/Emily story. The only difference in this from canon is that Doyle was the one who died (Morgan shot him) rather than Emily 'dying'.**

**Yay :) got five reviews, you are all awesome :) Special thanks to my repeat reviewers, HGRHfan35 and HPforever-after and calzonaobsessed for sticking with me :) You are all awesome! Same again, lets get five reviews for this chapter :0 Or to 65! That'd be amazing! Hope you enjoy :) **

**Oh, and if you can take a guess to who might be coming back in the story, then the first person to guess right will get a special guest spot for an OC in the story :) **

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><p><strong>Alteration<strong>

_6 September 2012  
>-10:21am (Quantico, Virginia)-<em>

"Good morning, Emily," a rather cheerful Rossi greeted as he strolled into the office, over an hour late. He had taken a long morning, mainly for the reason that the night before he had been on a date with a beautiful, intelligent woman and she had stayed until late for coffee at his home. Emily looked at him, grumbled and then looked back at her computer, feeling lousy. It was almost as if a dark shadow had fallen over the women in the BAU.

Despite their obvious professionalism and attempts to act as normal as possible, the four women were all in foul moods, in pain and uncomfortable. Even Garcia had succumbed to the pressures of TOM and snapped at Morgan when he had asked her how she was. It wasn't pretty... at all.

"Well someone is in a bad mood. Anything I can do to help?" he asked, concerned and Emily barely managed to stop herself from snapping at him as she shook her head, smiling to hide a grimace. Rossi eyed her, but submitted gracefully, bowing his head.

"Very well. I hope you feel better soon," he told her before excusing himself to his office. Emily watched him walk away, past JJ and Chris as they looked over a file together.

The two women had equally serious expressions. Chris was wearing black trousers, with a precise crease down the centre and, for the first time in ages, a pair of black flats. She wore an over-sized cream pleat neck pussy bow blouse and her hair was loose, in curls. She ran her hands through them as she stared at the file. JJ wore a silk wrap blouse, with long sleeves in a light blue colour, with a pair of navy, pinstripe trousers and nude pumps. Her hair was straightened an loose, falling around her face and to her mid-back.

Emily furrowed her eyebrows, concerned by the pained looks in both women's eyes, the fact that they were talking in hushed tones. It was no secret that Chris had taken to helping JJ when it came to sorting through cases. It was what she had done when JJ had been with the Department of Defence, choosing a new case and giving it to Garcia to present.

JJ had let Chris stay on helping her after JJ came back. Chris was one of the most well acquainted with the cases, having read through them all to catalogue them, which really helped JJ when choosing a case.

"I'll tell the team," JJ stated, and Chris concurred, looking at her watch and then moving down the platform to Garcia's office, while JJ came down the stairs towards them, closing the file. Emily looked at her, and Morgan sipped his coffee, waiting for her to speak.

"We have a case. Everyone in the round room in five minutes," she instructed, her voice carefully controlled, blue eyes dancing with various different emotions. She was away to go up to the round room herself, when Emily caught her arm.

"Is it bad?" Emily asked, quietly, and JJ looked at Morgan, who's expression was completely serious, almost grim. She turned back to Emily, and nodded once. Emily's features softened. She knew that look, that expression in JJ's eyes. That look meant there were children involved. Most likely young children. Her stomach swirled, and she let go of JJ, feeling nauseous. She rubbed her stomach, her face paler than normal, and Reid furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at her.

"Are you okay Emily?" he asked, taking into account her behaviour, the off-colour of her skin and her general mannerisms that morning. She smiled uneasily at him, responding 'I'm fine'. Reid furrowed his eyebrows, leaning back in his seat. "You know that morning sickness can start as early as five weeks? While in most cases, it doesn't start until later in the first trimester, there are cases were it starts in the fifth week. Technically, that means morning sickness can start a week after conception, as most doctors count a pregnancy from the beginning date of the mothers most recent period. However only about 50% of women experience morning sickness in the first trimester, and only 15% of mothers expecting twins actually suffer a greater degree of morning sickness than those expecting single babies."

"Kid, I swear to god that if you don't stop talking about morning sickness, I am going to cut off your coffee supply," Morgan warned, and Reid gaped at Morgan, hugging his coffee cup to himself while Emily scowled, protesting that she wasn't pregnant. Morgan rolled his eyes, and excused himself to the round room, while Emily insistently repeated to Reid that she was not pregnant.

"I know. The paleness of your skin, and your behaviour just reminded me of when Chris was pregnant and in her first trimester. With Anna, she got morning sickness almost immediately after she hit her sixth week of pregnancy. It was interesting because she thought I wouldn't notice it," he told her, and Emily gazed at him, before standing from her desk and walking away to the round room, lifting her mug of milk as she did so. Reid pouted. No one ever let him talk.

Chris sat down at the table, raising her chin slightly to JJ in greeting as she sat down between Morgan and Reid, lifting her i-pad from the table. JJ smiled slightly at her, before turning to the rest of the team, fully in her role as Media Liaison and Communications Director.

"This morning I got a call from the Pierre Police Department, requesting our help," she informed them. Subtly, Hotch glanced over to Chris, who didn't react to the words at all, looking through the the file on her i-pad.

"Three children between the ages of four and nine were found suffocated in Steamboat Park, Pierre. Each of the children had been reported missing on the last Friday of the week previous, and each child had been sexually assaulted repeatedly before they were killed. Their bodies were found on the following Monday," JJ said, and Morgan's expression tightened while Emily began to feel even more nauseous. Rossi's face was grim as he looked through the file.

"Why are we only being called in now?" he asked, and JJ clicked a button on her remote, pictures of four children coming up on the screen from before they were taken. The youngest was female, while the other three most recent abducted were male.

"This morning at 08:25, Tyler Duhommel was found in Steamboat Park by a couple of dog-walkers. Twenty minutes ago, the Pierre Police Department got a call from Melissa Hurst saying that her nine year old son was missing. Apparently she dropped him off at school at 08:50am, but he didn't register in with his class. The Police Chief contacted me asking for our help," JJ declared, and Hotch nodded slightly. The blonde pursed her lips as she looked at the other agents.

"Everyone get your go-bags. Jet leave in thirty minutes. We'll fully brief on the jet, time is already being lost," Hotch ordered, standing. His expression was severe, carefully masking all emotions as he lifted his i-pad and a hard copy of the file. Chris looked back at the file, taking a deep breath before she stood and left first, chin raised slightly as she held her composure. Reid moved after her, his steps quick as he shuffled his file papers and pictures back into the brown paper holder.

Morgan was deliberately harsh in his movements. Cases involving children were often the most difficult ones for him. Especially young children. They always put him on edge, made him far more intense. Rossi left after him, less harsh but rigid, mind already working over-time as he continued to read through the file again, trying to connect the dots and put together the pieces that seemed out of place.

Emily stood from her seat quickly, and then swayed, a dizzy spell coming over her momentarily. Putting her hand to to her temple, she moaned as she reached out with the other to gab the table. Hotch went to her side, putting his hand on the base of her back as he looked at her worriedly. She blinked rapidly, looking at him and smiling uneasily .

"It's fine, Aaron, just a dizzy spell. Don't worry, go get your go-bag."

"I'm not going anywhere until I know you are alright," he told her, keeping his voice low so JJ couldn't hear. The blonde sheepishly shuffled her papers, turning off the screen with the images on it. Emily didn't miss this, as she assured Hotch she was fine, placing her hand on his arm softly. His expression was dark, eyebrows knit together over his disquieted eyes. He was anxious. They had spent nearly the entire weekend together and he had noticed the repeated spells of dizziness, the nausea and the secret trips to the bathroom in the morning and the afternoon.

"Aaron, trust me, I am perfectly fine. Just go, okay?" she insisted, although there was a thankful look on her face, a small smile at his worry over her. Hotch eyed her suspiciously, but moved his hand from the small of her back, conceding to her statement. Emily squeezed his hand softly, before he left to collect his go-bag. JJ watched him leave, a small smirk on her lips, and then she looked at Emily curiously. Emily shifted under her gaze.

"What?"

"You two seem closer. Did something happen?" JJ enquired and Emily scowled at her, causing JJ to hum airily, holding the files to her chest.

"So something did happen, and you just aren't telling us. I have to say, Emily, I'm a little hurt. I thought there were no secrets between us," JJ teased, albeit less playfully then normal. The situation was too severe for that, and JJ just couldn't bring herself to actually joke. Emily felt slightly frustrated and inhaled deeply.

"JJ, not that I don't love you, because I do, but some thing I just need to keep to myself, alright? It's not necessary for me to tell you everything. God knows you waited long enough to tell us about your relationship with Will," Emily snapped and JJ reared back, her jaw dropping and eyes widening slightly. She was clearly hurt, but Emily just couldn't bring herself to feel bad for saying it. She just felt really mad. For no reason at all, honestly.

"I... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to make you mad..." JJ apologised, and Emily sighed, form slumping as JJ left the round room, hastily. Emily looked at her i-pad, biting her lips and then pushing in her chair. She pinched the bridge of her nose and cursed herself, before lifting her belongings and heading from the round room to get her go-bag from her desk.

_-11:30am (Quantico, Virginia) 10:30am (Pierre, South Dakota)- _

Chris dropped a teabag into a dark blue mug, the idea of coffee unappealing. She gasped sharply when her stomach contracted, causing her knees to buckle at the sudden intenseness of the pain. She grabbed onto the black marble counter, panting slightly as it persisted. Period pains were nothing compared to child-birth, however it was still a pain in her ass. Literally. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to regulate her breathing, before opening her eyes when the kettle clicked.

Straightening with great difficulty, Chris breathed through her mouth as she shakily poured her cup of tea, adding milk and stirring it quickly, dropping the teabag into the disposal. Moving quickly down the isle between the seats on the Gulfstream G450, Chris settled in next to JJ, her eyebrows furrowed painfully. She placed one hand over her lower stomach, wincing as she sipped her tea, looking at the file.

"I have some painkillers, if you want," JJ offered, and Chris turned to look at her, before shaking her head. JJ tilted her head, blond hair falling over her shoulder as she gazed emphatically at Chris. She knew exactly how Chris felt, feeling it herself earlier.

"Are you sure?" she asked, and Chris bowed her head. Aspirin, ibuprofen, paracetamol... they never worked for her, so she just never took them.

JJ gave her a gentle look, before turning her attention back to the case file and then looking at Morgan and Emily opposite them. Morgan's expression was a grim as it had been at the BAU in Quantico. In fact, in the hour since they had received the case, it hadn't changed once. JJ would bet that until they caught the UnSub, it wouldn't change. Emily was pale, not the usual creamy colour of her skin, but a greyish pale, tinted with green. She seemed to be holding it back though, as she sipped a mug of ice-cold water splashed with lemon juice.

"Emma Wells was our first victim. She was abducted from outside her Elementary school where she attended Pre-kindergarten after the end of the school day. Her teacher had been distracted when another child had fallen over, and when she turned to check on Emma, she was gone," Rossi spoke up, directing the teams attention to him. The peppered haired man was thinking through the teachers statement.

It was natural for a teacher to become distracted when working. Especially in a class with children under the age of fie. They had so much energy that meant they were always on the go, and it kept the teachers busy and unable to watch every single child at once. They were spread thin, and according to the file, the Pre-kindergarten had a class of thirty children. The teacher tried to make sure every one of her children were safe, but this time, she had been unable to protect the girl.

However that was not what interested him at that very minute.

"She was the only girl abducted. The following child was David Sow, a four year old male, then a seven year old boy called William Martin before Tyler Duhommel, who is nine. The UnSub not only changed the gender of the victim he chooses to abduct, but the age as well. It's inconsistent, disorganised," Rossi mused, leaning against the chest along the curved wall of the jet's cabin.

"It's like the UnSub didn't know what he was doing, what he wanted. He had to try both a girl and a boy before he realised he had a higher affliction to males, and even then he couldn't stick to a specific victimology. The Unsub's unable to determine the age he specifically has a sexual preference for," Morgan interjected, closing the flap over his i-pad, sick of looking through the file. He reached over and took a drink of his coffee, only to grimace when he realised it was cold. He set the cup back down and sat rigid in his seat, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

He wore a black tee with black jeans and heavy boots, his badge and his Glock on his belt. He was still classically handsome, maintaining that suave demeanour he had always kept, despite the shadows caused by his vainly concealed disgust with the case and the UnSub, and the lines and wrinkles that came with ageing, however few they were.

"This could mean the UnSub has only just started to evolve. These abductions and the abuse are trial runs until he finds his ideal target," Emily stated, her eyebrows raising and Chris swallowed, closing her file and pushing it away from her.

This was actually one of the first cases involving children that she had been involved in. It wasn't the first child abuse she had seen, when she was on shift as a nurse, she had seen far too much of that, but it was the first time she was involved in profiling the actual abductor and paedophile.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned her head slightly to see Reid leaning on the back of her chair, a contemplating expression on his face. He wasn't looking at her, but Chris knew that he had been watching her before. Reid tended to do that when she was bothered by something, watch her. She lifted her left hand up to the one he had on her shoulder and wound her fingers through his, taking a deep breath.

All she had to do was stop imagining her own daughters face every time she looked at the pictures from Emma Well's file. Chris knew that they were safe, Puppy and Paws and their sitter wouldn't have it any other way. This knowledge didn't do anything to ease that nagging worry in the back of her mind though that something, or some one, could potentially harm or take her children.

Chris shook herself slightly, her hold on Reid's hand tightening a little before she loosened it. Tuning back into the brain-storming, she looked up at Reid when he started to speak. Her hold on his hand didn't miss Hotch's gaze, and the brooding expression on his face became heavier, wondering whether or not to pull Chris from the case. If she was emotionally compromised and it affected her abilities, than it could affect the case.

"It doesn't make sense for the UnSub to target younger children and then build up to older children. Typically, if they are evolving, a paedophile will target older children and work their way down. Only then is it because they don't have enough previous experience to determine the ideal target," Reid put across, sitting on the arm of Chris' chair. Chris furrowed her eyebrows, opening her mouth to speak and then pursing her lips, thinking through what he had just said.

"Chris, what is it?" Emily asked and Chris licked her lips, letting go over her husbands hands and pclasping them on the table.

"It's nothing... just... what if the UnSub started off with younger targets because they were easier to take? What if it was because they were the age most available to him," she mused, waving a hand slightly. Reid shook his head, refuting the idea silently. Chris looked at him for an explanation, curious as to what he was going to say.

"Statistically, children under the age of the four would be less likely to be easier target as they tend to avoid strangers and people they do not regularly interact with. Attachment theory states that attachment and relationship bonds change with age, but even at four years old, a child still mainly attaches to their primary caregiver and family members, people they see everyday, despite broadening their attachments to their teachers and class mates," Reid advanced, before he paused because of the looks he was getting from Morgan and Emily.

"A lone child not being watched by anyone, who is weak and unable to fight back is a much easier target to abduct, compared to one being watched, slightly older and more likely to object to being taken," Hotch backed up Chris, who shifted uncomfortable in her seat. She had been in the field for nearly a year and a half now, but she was still new to profiling and the job in her mind. To have Hotch's support on her idea was almost embarrassing because of how pleased it made her. He didn't acknowledge this, his attention on Emily.

She was covering her mouth with her hand and setting her mug down. The green tint to her skin had worsened, and she stood abruptly, pushing past Hotch to get to the jets toilets. Hotch caught Rossi's eye, and the peppered haired man bobbed his head curtly to the BAU Unit Chief. Hotch moved swiftly after Emily, to the toilet door. Inside, he could hear Emily retching and frowned, apprehensively, knocking softly on the door.

Emily somehow managed a 'go away' between retches. Hotch knit his eyebrows together, and then slowly opened the door, slipping into the small toilet and closing it behind him. The smell was dreadful, and he didn't want to breathe through his mouth in case he tasted it.

Bending down over Emily, he held her hair back as she vomited, the woman clinging to the toilet seat as her entire body lurched forward, sobbing.

It was overwhelming, the nausea and now the being sick, and it was making her miserable. Eventually, her stomach was completely empty, and she was dry-heaving, before her body stopped with the torture and allowed her to slump, crying. Hotch's hand rubbed her back, trying to sooth her, while she took shuddery breaths, panting.

"It's okay... deep breaths, Emily, deep breaths..." he whispered softly, keeping up his motions of circling on her back.

She leaned back slightly, her chest heaving before she moaned his name, an airy wail tearing itself from her throat.

"I hate this... I hate this feeing... I hate it..." she cried, and he knew all too well what she was talking about. The feeling of being vulnerable, an easy target. She was emotionally and physically compromised, yet he just wasn't able to let her go, make her stay at home because he _NEEDED_ her to be with him, he needed to be able to watch her. He held her tightly, as she evened out her breathing, controlling her emotions once more. He didn't care that she was wetting his tie with her tears, or that it now had a rather vile green stain on it, or that they were sitting on the floor of a toilet.

He just needed her to be okay.

"You should have said you weren't feeling well," he murmured softly, merely pointing it out rather than chastising her for it, and she hiccuped, her throat burning.

"Why would I? You already knew," she responded, her normally smooth voice raspy and torn. It pained him when she winced, bringing her hand to her throat and massaging it silently her eyebrows furrowing. He had known, which made it worse. He had known she wasn't feeling well, he had seen her behaviour and he hadn't stopped her from coming with them for his own selfish reasons. He was saved from replying by a knock on the door. They both looked up at it, and Hotch asked who it was.

"It's Chris. I need to do a physical evaluation to make sure Emily is fit for field work," the younger woman called from the other side. Hotch could see her clearly in his mind, apprehensive but holding her medical kit in her hands while the rest of the team pretended they were not watching her, JJ hovering close behind. Hotch looked at Emily, who had her eyes closed, counting down under her breath. "I'm sorry, I don't want to interrupt, but I need to do my job, Hotch."

"It's okay, Aaron, let her in," Emily muttered as she pulled herself from Hotch's arms, putting the toilet seat down and flushing it, before she sat down on top of it. Hotch pulled off his tie and shoved it in the bin attached to the wall, before sliding the door open and letting Chris in, the woman giving him a small, thankful smile before he slipped out and slid the door shut behind him.

"Is she going to be alright?" JJ asked immediately, and Hotch pursed his lips, inhaling through his nose deeply. JJ's blue eyes peered at him, worried and Hotch looked away from her gaze.

"I honestly don't know."

_-14:05pm (Quantico, Virginia) 12:05pm (Pierre, South Dakota)-_

Emily wasn't able to stop Chris as the younger woman directed her straight to the hotel they were staying at only moments after they had landed. Despite her protests, Chris had argued continuously that if she didn't make sure Emily was well, then she would lose her job. Chris had gone against her better judgement in telling Emily what the most likely actual reason was for sickness, making an excuse for it being influenza.

JJ hadn't helped her either, instead choosing to back up Chris by pushing Emily towards the black SUV impatiently. Secretly, Emily had been quite pleased with this. She felt exhausted, and in desperate need of a shower, and as they walked into the lobby of Days Inn she silently cheered, feeling dead on her feet. Chris had given her strict instructions to take a shower and then rest, before heading to the station.

The brunette woman didn't make it there, though, turning down streets that she barely recognised yet knew instinctively, her lips setting into a thin line as she pulled up outside a blue panneled house. It had a lamppost in the front garden, and dark shutters on the windows. Children's toys littered the freshly mown lawn and their was a black car in the driveway.

Chris stared at it, her grip tight on the steering wheel as she gazed at the building. She could hear children in the back garden, playing, laughing and it made her heart ache. Somehow, in a swift movement she unplugged her seatbelt and stepped out of the vehicle, the door shutting behind her. Swallowing she stepped towards the white gate, held by a white picket fence and placed her hand on it, trying to convince herself to walk through it.

Before she was able to finally work up the strength to do so, her phone rang on her belt, and she let go of the gate to answer it.

"Agent Reid speaking," she said, her voice sounding slightly strangled even to her own ears. She coughed slightly, bringing one hand to her throat and massaging her voice box.

"Chris? Where are you? Emily called nearly an hour ago to say that you had left the hotel and were on your way back. It takes four minutes to get from the station to the Days Inn, why have you been missing for an hour?" JJ asked frantically, her voice hushed and Chris blinked in surprise looking at her watch. How long had she been standing there for? She had sat in her car for about twenty minutes before getting out, and if that was true, she had been standing there, holding onto that gate for nearly forty-five minutes.

"I'm sorry... I didn't realise, er... I'll be about ten minutes, alright? Just... tell Hotch I'll be ten minutes," Chris said, starting toward the car and not looking back at the blue house, with the lamppost and dark shutters. JJ paused, before slowly asking Chris where she was again, her voice graver, and much more troubled than previously. Chris turned the key in the ignition, her eyes straying to the house.

"Nowhere important, JJ. Don't worry."

Before JJ could argue that of course she was going to worry, Chris hung up and threw her phone in the passenger seat. Her eyes stared out the front windscreen as she held onto the steering wheel, knowing she had to move. Above, the sky was filled with grey clouds, and Chris had that all too familiar sinking feeling in her stomach as she pulled out of her parking space, the first signs of rain beginning to dot onto the pavements.

JJ ogled her phone, a troubled look on her face before she turned to face Reid. He was shifting from one foot to the other, slightly on edge as tried to find a connection between the four children taken in the limited time they had, as well as the letters that had been sent to each family after they had been abducted.

If the UnSub had escalated the time frame in which he abducted the children, they it was highly likely he would escalate the time frame in which he disposed of them, which meant they had an extremely short time-scale in which to find Tyler Duhommel alive.

Hotch and Rossi were at the abduction sites, while Morgan was at the morgue to see the bodies of William Martin and David Sow, and get the coroners reports. There had only been a week between David Sow's body being disposed and William Martin's, and David was still in the morgue because the family hadn't finished organising the funeral. JJ and Chris were supposed to be going to Tyler Duhommel's home to wait for correspondence from the UnSub.

But Chris wasn't there, which meant JJ couldn't go yet because Hotch and Morgan had the other SUV's. Sighing, she went to Reid's side, peering over his shoulder as he removed the three letters from the board and put them on the table. He was scowling, as he grabbed a red pen and began to circle different sentences.

"Spence? What is it?" she questioned, as Reid's dark chocolate eyes began to become larger and much more expressive as he began to identify something in the letters.

"These letters were written by a woman. It's in the way they are phrased, the tone they have. They are apologetic, she shows her regret for taking the children and tries to assure the parents that they are okay. By saying that 'You're children are being cared for better than ever' she isn't insulting the parent's abilities to care for their children, she is trying to make the parents feel better," Reid explained, and JJ furrowed her eyebrows.

"That doesn't make sense. If she is abusing the children, why would she try to make the parent's feel better about them being abducted?" JJ asked, lifting the letter to Emma Well's family and gazing at the joined up writing, neat and legible.

"I don't think she is abusing the children. If she was, she wouldn't write these letters, she would take pleasure in the families suffering. She may be abducting the children, but she has another motive for doing so," Reid stated. JJ opened her mouth to reply, to question what type of motive she could have for doing so, when Reid continued. "One of the most common reasons that females abuse and abduct children is because of a male influence. It's possible that she is taking the children because the UnSub is making her. What would make a woman abduct children, so they could be abused?"

"Her own children," Chris interjected, stepping towards the Profiler and the Media Liaison. She had been watching them, listening for a few minutes, before she interrupted, causing Reid and JJ to look at her with equally surprised expressions. JJ exhaled heavily, concurring as Chris moved to her side, looking down at the letters, arms crossed over her chest.

"It's true. A mother will do anything to protect her own children, even if it means endangering others. If it was me, and I was in this situation, there is nothing in this world I wouldn't do to protect Henry," the blonde mother declared. Her blue eyes flicked over to Chris, who was bobbing her head in agreement as she trned to the board, her eyes roaming over the images and the map.

"The maternal instinct to protect is caused by a decrease in the production of corticotrophin-releasing hormone, now associated to lactation. It's increased levels of CRH which causes the fear response in mammals and controls behaviours. Decreased levels in the mother make them more likely to attack a potential threat to their offspring than be fearful of them," Reid submitted, and Chris cocked her head to the side while JJ hummed in fake interest, pursing her lips. Reid's nose twitched slightly and he scratched the end of it sheepishly.

"So where were you?" JJ suddenly questioned her brunette friend, who's eyebrows shot up and her mouth fell open before she clamped it shut, looking slightly affronted. JJ put her hands on her hips, a clear gleam of stubbornness flashing through her eyes. "Chris, you were missing for nearly an hour, you didn't even realise that much time had passed and you didn't call Hotch or Spence to let them know where you were. Where were you?"

"I... have no idea, JJ," Chris breathed, going silent for a moment as she stared at her friend, before she visibly shook herself, looking at her watch. "Is there not something we should be doing?" she questioned, suddenly wanting to get to work to avoid this talk. JJ narrowed her eyes, and Reid looked at his wife out the corner of his eye as he wrote down some notes on a pad of paper.

"We have to go to the Duhommel's, and talk to the family," JJ stated, and Chris curtly acquiesced, pulling the SUV keys out of her pocket. With a quiet 'Okay, then' she walked past JJ, and towards the exit, only to pause at the sight of the rain hammering down outside the Police Station. Then, she grit her teeth and walked out, leaving Reid and JJ. JJ shook her head, and looked at Reid. "You are going to have to talk to her, Spence."

Reid swallowed heavily, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

"I know."

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><p><strong>Remember to review, and try and guess the character :) <strong>

**Hope you enjoyed, my darlings :P**


	16. 6 September 2012 Afternoon

**A/N: This is a Hotch/Emily story. The only difference in this from canon is that Doyle was the one who died (Morgan shot him) rather than Emily 'dying'.**

**Okay, so I know that we didn't get to five reviews for last chapter, but oh well :) I need to get this chapter out some we can get on with the story ;) We got big changes coming soon. **

**Remember to suggest who you think will be coming back into the story. To make it easier, I'll give you options! :)  
><strong>

**1. Jason Gideon  
>2. Ashley Seaver<br>****3. Elle Greenaway  
>4. Jordan Todd<br>5. Nathan Harris  
>6. Sam Coopers Team <strong>

**Pick and choose, my lovelies :) Now, please read and review :) **

**Hope you enjoy the chapter :) **

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><p><strong>Alteration<strong>

_6 September 2012  
><em>_-15:12pm (Quantico, Virginia) 14:12pm (Pierre, South Dakota)-_

They had asked the question with always made JJ go on edge, and Chris had grit her teeth, as she had nodded. 'Do you have children?'. That question was enough to make both women freeze, and feel fear deeper than the ocean. Because they did have children, who were the age of two who had been abducted, and the idea that it could happen to their own children made their blood run cold and fists clench.

The mother, Marie Duhommel had seen the looks on the other two women's faces after her husband had asked that, the man feeling irrational and frantic. She had wanted to apologise, but didn't, knowing it would make the other two uncomfortable.

"Mister Duhommel. I understand that this is a stressful time and that you are feeling angry but you need to calm down. Please, sit down and take a deep breath. We are doing everything we can to find your son. The best thing you can do, is stay as level as possible until we do," Chris urged the distressed man. Alex Duhommel was a thirty-five year old lawyer, with soft blond hair, grey eyes and a built figure from days of working out in the gym. Physically, he was slightly menacing. Emotionally, he was broken.

"Alex, just listen to her, okay? You're upsetting Sophie," Marie whispered softly, and the man looked up to see his wife holding their two year old daughter, the small girl's face in the crook of her mothers neck as she hid from her father. Marie bobbed Sophie slightly, trying to soothe her and Alex looked horrified as he sank into the couch, his head in his hands. Chris looked at JJ, who moved over to him and sat down next to him, placing her hand on his back to offer support.

"I'm sorry..." he mumbled, and she smiled softly, responding 'You have no need to be'. Chris looked at them, her eyes tender, before she turned to Marie and gestured through the large French doors to the marble white kitchen, suggesting silently that they give him a moment to collect himself. Marie exhaled heavily, and bobbed her head, walking along the hardwood floor in black flats, Sophie sniffing into her neck.

The kitchen was well equipped, with stainless steel appliances, and child locks on all the drawers and cupboards. On a shelf high up, there were several famed photographs, both recent and old. Chris gazed at them, and then froze when she saw one that had to be at least twenty years old, of Marie and another girl. Of Marie and her. Marie saw her looking, and smiled sadly.

"Charissa James. She was my best friend right until she died. It really affected everyone she knew. Our school even rose money to pay for her funeral," Marie told her, coming to the brunette woman's side. The red-haired woman's hair was pulled into a messy pony-tail, her face ivory skinned and eyes bright blue as she kissed the top of Sophie's head with a dreamy look. "I still think about her. She was the first person who talked to me when I moved here. The other's made fun of me, but she accepted me."

"Marie Beggs," Chris breathed, her haze eyes widening slightly and Marie's eyebrows knit together as she turned to look at Chris. She concurred, wondering how the SSA would have known that. Chris breathed out, scoffing slightly as she shook her head. It was almost painful as she realised that the woman standing next to her was the best friend she had relied on for four years when she was younger. "Listen, Marie, about Charissa James..."

"What about her?" Marie asked, apprehensively and Chris took a deep breath. Could she really do this? Could she really tell this woman, after twenty one years of being dead to her, that she was the best friend she had buried when she was nine years old? Her eyes caught the photograph again, and Chris realised that she couldn't. This woman had mourned her best friend, had mourned_ her. _Telling her that she was Charissa James, that she was still alive, that could open a whole floodgate of emotions for the redhead.

"I'm sure that she would be extremely thankful for everything you did for her," Chris finally replied, and Marie flushed slightly, bobbing her head, before she looked at the picture of her red-haired, bright eyed little boy, and swallowed the large lump that started to build in her throat. Holding Sophie tighter to her, she pursed her lips, her eyes startign to brim with tears as she looked at the image.

"He was always getting sent to the nurse, you know? A little hypochondriac. I was always telling him there was nothing wrong, but Tyler was forever convinced that he was ill in some way or another. Eventually, they called in the school's district nurse about his hypochondria so she could tell him he was fine," Marie told Chris, a humourless lilt in her voice. She sounded strangled and Sophie mumbled into her neck, tightening her hold on her mother.

"The district nurse?" Chris questioned, and Marie looked at her, humming slightly.

"Yeah, the district nurse, Jessie Barnes. Each of the schools have a 'nurse' in them during school hours, but the district nurse covers all the school in the area. A serious issue or case is bought to her when it concerns the children's well-being. She's lovely," Marie explained and Chris blinked, her eyebrows furrowing as she asked if the woman had children. Marie nodded. "Well, of course. She has two sons. Tyler is friends with her eldest, Joshua. Marcus is her youngest, he just started Pre-K last month."

"Thank you, Marie. Excuse me, please. I have to make a phone call," Chris declared, and Marie rose her eyebrows, confused at the woman's sudden change in demeanour as she stammered 'of course'. Chris smiled at her, strained, before she turned and walked out the back-door, pulling her phone from her belt. Some of the pieces of the case in her head had started to slip into place, and if she knew anything, it was that Hotch would need to know them.

-_17:27pm (Quantico, Virginia) 16:27pm (Pierre, South Dakota)-_

Emily yawned as she stretched out along the bed. Automatically, her most immediate thought when she woke from her nap was the case, and how it was progressing. That was until she remembered that she was supposed to be resting, and thinking about work was not relaxing. If anything, it made her more wired then normal, especially as it was a case involving children. Bringing a hand to her hair, she managed to stop herself looking at her phone, just to check in and see what was happening.

She frowned when she realised that her hair was still wet from her shower. Normally she would dry it, but after her shower she had just been far too tired, and felt far too sick to actually lift her arm. Emily had pretty much just collapsed onto the surprisingly comfortable bed and cocooned herself in the blanket, unable to sleep when she wasn't wrapped up completely.

Pushing her blankets from her body, she looked around the room, propping herself up on her elbows. It was bright and airy, the walls white painted bricks with paintings of flowers hung on them. The carpet was forest green, matching the slightly tacky throw on the bed, patterned with flowers in pink and cream. Overall it was comfortable and it was clean, and honestly, with how Emily had been feeling that was good enough for her.

Emily rolled onto her side, staring over at the drawn curtains. They caused the room to be dark enough that she was able to sleep, yet were still open just a sliver to allow some light into the room. When she was in the dark completely, it caused her mind to start working overdrive and stopped her sleeping because of how fast Emily's mind tended to work and the deeper and more terrifying her thoughts became.

She began to question everything, her job, her life, her family. Her mind would drift to her past, and to the things she used to do as a teenager and how disappointed her parents had become because of those things. Images from past cases would begin to overload her mind, and once that happened it was near impossible for her to sleep, especially when they became images from cases which her team had been injured.

Emily closed her eyes, realising that if she kept thinking she was going to start panicking, and while she didn't feel as nauseous as she did earlier, if she let herself get sucked into that void of thoughts, she would be again. Running her hand over her face, she sat up once more and swung her feet over the edge of the bed. Licking her lips, she grimaced at the taste of her mouth.

She pushed herself up, her hand going to her stomach when it started to swirl and massaging it. Whatever was wrong with her, it was really starting to get to her. She hated it, the feeling of being weak. Her entire life she had spent building up a barrier to the horrors of the world. Emily had managed to make herself strong, and built up defences against the realities of her job, of life, that only lowered at night, when she herself was in the dark.

The fact that she couldn't do her job, that this illness was making her powerless, it was cracking those defences she had built up, and it was tormenting her. Emily had never had to sit back while the others handled a case. Emily hadn't been forced to wait to hear confirmation that they were safe, that they were not in danger. For the first time, she was in the background, unable to protect her family.

God, did she hate that. It sucked.

Emily shook her head, making her way into the en-suite to brush her teeth. She caught sight of her appearance, and grimaced at it. Her hair was a mess, flat in places it was damp and sticking up where it had dried while she slept. Her skin was sickly grey colour, and she had dark shadows under her eyes despite the two hourlong nap. Her lips were chapped and dry, and even with the shower she had taken, she still felt dirty.

Her flannel pyjamas hung of her thin form, making her feel tiny and even more fragile than she already had. As if she was a little girl playing dress up, despite the fact that she was forty-two years old. Emily pursed her lips. She had got to eat something. Not only was she starving, but she needed to at least try and stomach some food. No matter how unappealing the thought was, or the likelihood that she was just going to bring it back up again, Emily had to at least try and eat.

Emily had to take advantage of this lull in her nausea, just to eat. Dragging a brush through her hair, and pulling it into a ponytail, she attempted to make herself look at least halfway presentable, adding some blusher to her cheeks, mascara to her eyes and lip balm to her chapped lips. She changes out of those flannel pyjamas, which she also vows to burn the minute she gets home, and puts on a simple white tee, and grey slacks with the black ankle boots she had been wearing earlier.

Somehow she managed to make herself look decent, and as she brushed her teeth, she couldn't stop herself from savouring the minty taste. It overrode the taste that had lingered on her tongue since the Jet, and made her feel more awake, more alive, as she spat the white foam into the sink and wiped the area around her mouth with the hand towel.

The sound of the rain hammering down on the window caused Emily to pause on her way out the room and wonder for a minute it the Days Inn accepted take away. Emily knew though, that if she stayed in that hotel room, she might just go crazy. Especially as she wasn't aware of what was happening with the case. She had hoped that Hotch would keep her posted on any developments, but her phone was silent, with no incoming information. It was almost infuriating to be so out of the loop.

She rifled through her go bag for an umbrella, feeling triumphant when she found it. It was a silly rush, a thrill of happiness that suddenly sparked in her as she found the small, plain blue umbrella in the bottom of her bag and it caused Emily to freeze for a moment, and gaze at the umbrella, scrutinizing it. Unbidden, Reid's babble from the morning began to swirl around her mind. _'... morning sickness can start a week after conception_'.

Emily trusted Reid. He was a terrible liar and always spoke in facts. She would trust whatever he said because of this. But she just couldn't bring herself to trust that statement. If she for one moment entertained the possibility that she was pregnant, then that would mean that Chris had lied to her. She would have stood right in front of her and lied to her about what was wrong with her. There was no way that a nurse, who had been pregnant three times, would be unable to tell the signs of pregnancy. Especially not one who was now a profiler.

She tried not to acknowledge the other reason, yet it attacked her mind full force, barraging through the walls she had built, knocking down her defences. That hope that was fighting trough, that she could have a baby, something that was completely hers. That she could be a _mother_. It refused to fall, and now that it had planted itself in her mind, it moved, making her heart ache.

She could be a mother. Something that she had wanted to be for so long. Closing her eyes, she counted down from ten, her grip on the umbrella so tight that her knuckles were turning white. Emily couldn't let herself get drawn into the hope. Hope left people hurt. It made them suffer when it died, and it prolonged the pain of wishing for it. Emily had learned not to hope. Hope was dangerous. For too long she had let hope rule her, let hope prevail.

Hope that her parents would no longer be disappointed in her. Hope that she would be able to let go of her past. Hope that the guilt of what she had done to Ian Doyle and his family would go away. He had loved her. He had loved her so much he had given her everything. But the person he loved wasn't her, it was Lauren, and he had died trying to get her back. While she knew he deserved it, for everythign he had done to her after and everything he had done to innocent people, it didn't change the fact that she had stole his son from him.

And she would never be able to forget that fact. For everything he had done, none of it erased the truth that she had taken the most important thing he had, the one thing he loved from him. His baby boy. The beautiful, curly blonde haired Declan.

She didn't deserve hope. Emily, for all the good she did with her job, she knew she was just as bad as those she put away, maybe even worse. The line between her actions, and the actions of someone like Ian Doyle was thin, and she had done so much worse in her own mind.

Emily couldn't let herself have hope, she couldn't allow herself that luxury, no matter how much it broke through her defences, no matter how well it latched onto her heart. Emily leaned against the door to her room, looking down at the umbrella in her hand, as if it held all the answers to her problems.

She was scared... Not like when she was fifteen and pregnant and had no idea what to do or how to handle it or how it would look for her family. She was scared because if this wasn't true, if she wasn't pregnant, and she wasn't going to have a baby, then she wasn't sure that she would be able to go on. That hope had latched on, and now the chance that she might not be was terrifying.

Emily couldn't just let it go though. If she let it go, and she was pregnant, she would be kicking herself. Emily had to know. It was in her head now, and no matter what, she knew she wouldn't be able to shake it. It would torment her until she found out the truth and drive her crazy. Vaguely, she recalled passing a drug store only yards away from the Days Inn.

She could get the test right now, and find out. Easy as that. Just one test, and she would know the truth. Emily closed her eyes, breathing in heavily.

So why couldn't she open the door?

_-20:45pm (Quantico, Virginia) 19:45pm (Pierre, South Dakota)-_

The case had felt too easy, too simple to solve, in the end. The most difficult part of it, was getting Jessie Barnes' husband to let go of Tyler Duhommel. The man held a gun to the boys temple, and without hesitation, Morgan had fired. It was clean shot, straight through the front of Arnold Barnes' forehead. Tyler had ran crying into the arms of Chris, who had looked on at the Unsub's fallen body with nothing but repulsion.

There was no urge to run and help him, to check his vitals and try and bring him back. Just stone cold hatred for what he had done to those children, as Tyler Duhommel clung to her waist, face buried in her stomach as he sobbed, crying for his mother. Her hand smoothed over the back of his head, her hold just as tight as she led him towards the ambulance waiting for them to take Tyler to the hospital.

Jessie Barnes had screamed, falling to her knees at the sight of the man she loved dead, while JJ had moved her two confused, lost boys to the police car, her eyes downcast as she assured the children that everything was going to be alright. It had been a cold and broken hallelujah. No one had anything to say, and the reality of it all was bone-crushing. Not for the first time, each and every one of the team questioned their roles in the world, as the BAU, and questioned the very fabric of humanity.

To understand why a person would do something as horrific as what Arnold Barnes had done to those boys and that little girl, or why Jessie Barnes had let her husband do it, had helped him rather than reported him, was near impossible, yet their job was to get into the minds of monsters and sometimes it was difficult to forget that there was still some good in the world, that it wasn't all dark and that every shadow in the night was not always a potential sociopath or psychopath or other being that most people only read about in newspapers.

The team were on edge, each lost in their own respective thoughts as they boarded the jet, settling into the plush seats and keeping to themselves. Morgan lost himself to his music, putting his headphones on and sinking back into his cream leather seat with a shielded expression, the memories of his own troubled youth tumbling around his mind like a broken record.

JJ sat with Emily, concerned about her friend, but also unable to fully give the charcoal haired woman her full attention. She stared out the small round window, one hand wrapped around the handle of a cup of coffee, while she bit down softly on the knuckle of her other, blue eyes tormented and restless as she gazed out at the grey asphalt and the falling rain. It all blurred into one with the sky, an endless, empty mess of grey and shades, giving her no peace.

Reid had done the only thing he really knew when his mind went into overdrive, and he had shut down. The man was silent as he lay on the cream couch, his head resting on the arm as gazed at the 'celing' of the jet. The images from the case drifted along it, and he cursed his eidetic memory for not allowing him to fully shut down. Reid could stop communicating with everyone around him, but that didn't change that he could still remember every fact from the case, every bit of pain inflicted on those children. It haunted him and he was petrified to close his eyes, because he knew that they would only be more vivid in his dreams.

Chris sat alone, cutting herself off from the others as she tried to calm her thoughts and failing miserably, every time coming to the same conclusion no matter what turn they took. Her eyes, despite her repeated attempts to stop them, brimmed with tears and they fell silently down her cheeks as she diverted her attention from every other member of the team out the window. She steadily ignored the prying gaze of Rossi, who sat in the chair across the isle opposite her.

The aged man buried himself in his work, opening his laptop to write something, anything, and then failing. His brown eyes stared at the blank word document, and he questioned himself as to whether it was even worth it anymore. The word which used to flow so freely seemed hollow, because no matter what he wrote, there was still always going to be another bad guy out there for them to catch. It was a never-ending burden sometimes and he felt suffocated by it, despite having willingly re-entered the field.

Hotch sat next to Emily, his hand holding onto hers even though hie wasn't looking at her, his attention focused on his phone as he scrolled for his home number. Hotch's first reaction, after cases like this, was to call his son. He needed to know that Jack was safe, and Jack's voice was able to calm the storm that raged in his mind. Emily was consumed by her thoughts, her eyes focused on nothing and everything at the same time

Her fingers intertwined even tighter around Hotch's, not enough to cause him pain but enough to distract his attention he her for a moment, waiting for Jessica to answer the phone. Emily was sitting on the seat at the isle, in case she started to feel nauseas, Hotch sitting in the window seat. He had drawn down the blind to hide the rain. If he couldn't see it, it wasn't really there.

Hotch wasn't able to ask her if she was okay, as Jessica answered on the other end, catching his attention. Emily diverted her eyes from him, looking around the cabin while still silently listening to Hotch talk to his son. Her eyes landed on Chris, down the isle, as the woman pulled some white papers out of her bag and set them on her lap, a severe look on her face as she read them.

The other brunette shifted uncomfortably, her eyes looking up from the papers and flitting over the other passengers on the Gulfstream. They were rimmed red, and Emily could tell that she had been crying easily. She started to loosen her grip on Hotch's hand to move over to the younger woman, the natural instinct to comfort her bubbling within her, when Hotch held out his phone to her.

"He want's to talk to you," Hotch told her, and Emily smiled slightly, taking the phone from him an putting it to her ear. Hotch watched her talk to Jack, a large smile falling onto her lips as the happy mannered boy cheered her up greatly, slouching back and settling comfortably into her seat as she spoke to him.

"Oh really? Wow, that is so cool... I don't know, Jack... you'll have to ask Daddy if that's alright... well, maybe, but you have to promise that you will eat all of it, not just the bits you want to eat... yes, I mean the broccoli as well," she laughed under her breath, shaking her head at the seven year old boy's insistence that she came home with Hotch. She looked over at him, taking in the content look on his face as he gazed at her and, uncharacteristically, she leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips, before going back to her conversation.

"Oh, you are going in the bath now? Okay, I'll see you tomorrow morning, alright? I know you do, I love you too... yeah, bye sweetie, here's your Daddy." Emily's voice was soft and gentle as she talked to Jack, before saying goodbye and handing the phone back to Hotch. He accepted it gratefully, eyeing Emily. Her ease at talking to Jack, her quick acceptance of him wasn't surprising at all.

Although, that didn't mean that he wasn't slightly jealous of his own son for getting Emily to tell him that she loved him.

* * *

><p><strong>So what do you think? Hope you liked the chapter.<br>Please review, it's what keeps me writing.**

**And also remember to take a guess :) And explain why you want them back, what you think they would do. :)**

**Hope you liked it**


	17. 7 September 2012 Morning, Noon, Evening

**A/N: This is a Hotch/Emily story. The only difference in this from canon is that Doyle was the one who died (Morgan shot him) rather than Emily 'dying'.**

**OMG, we are at sixty-eight reviews! That is amazing! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you are awesome :) Really hope you enjoy this chapter! It's got sadness, happiness and requested fluffiness between out two favourite people :) Hotchy-pants and Mommy Emmy! **

**Lets see if we can get seventy-five for this chapter! That would be so great :) And here is a reminder of the choices, one more chance to get your guess in before everything starts to gear up :)**

****1. Jason Gideon  
>2. Ashley Seaver<br>****3. Elle Greenaway  
>4. Jordan Todd<br>5. Nathan Harris  
>6. Sam Coopers Team<strong>**

****Choose your guess :) Hope you enjoy the chapter!****

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><p><strong>Alteration<strong>

_7 September 2012  
><em>_-10:12pm (Quantico, Virginia)-_

"Are you sure this is the route you wish to take, Chris?" Hotch asked the woman sitting opposite him at his desk. Chris inhaled heavily, her arms wrapped around herself as she shook her head, her ponytail swishing as she did so. At her indecision, Hotch frowned, his brow furrowing heavily over his eyes. "If you are not sure about this, then why are you doing it? You don't have to leave the BAU, Chris, no one is making you."

"I know, Hotch. I may not be sure this, and I may definitely not want to do this, but I have to. I need to do this," Chris told him. Hotch tried to understand her reasoning, but couldn't fathom it. Chris could see it on his face, and empathised. So many times others made choices that she didn't understand, or even like, yet they were not her choices and so she did her best not to let the affect her. The team wouldn't understand it, other than Reid, because she had already talked this through with him.

On the desk between them lay her badge, her pass and her Colt. They were neatly ordered in a row, and Chris felt pained as she looked at them, her head tilting to the side slightly as she sighed, her hands clasping in her lap.

"It's not about what I want anymore, it's about what I need to do. This job is too hard, and I miss my old life. I miss my children, Hotch," Chris tried to explain. That was something Hotch could perceive easily.

That was the hardest part of their job, being away from their families, their children. Always having to say goodbye and never sure if you would be coming back. Missing those moments that were pivotal in their lives. The job gave them a responsibility that had to be above all others, and sometimes, even Hotch questioned it. He had made peace with it a long time ago. This job was who he was. It was the way he knew how to survive, it was his life. Jack was a big part of it all, but Hotch knew, as hard as it was to admit, that the team, that the job would always be key to him. He couldn't process life without it.

Chris wasn't ready for that to happen to her.

"There is nothing I can say to convince you to stay?" he asked, and she gave him a gracious look, bowing her head. Hotch pursed his lips, swallowing the small lump in his throat. "When will you be leaving?" he questioned, and she responded 'after this', her voice cracking slightly. Hotch bobbed his head slightly, processing it, before he stood and held out his hand for her to shake. The corner of Chris' mouth turned up slightly, as she copied his move, takign his hand.

"Thank you for everything, Hotch," she expressed, grateful for everything he had done for her. Hotch didn't show any emotion, his expression carefully blank as he let his hand fall back to his side. Chris had come to regard Hotch as a kind of father figure, which to her was almost predictable given her lack of male role models in her life, and his involvement in it when she was so young.

"If you ever need anything, do not be afraid to ask. The team will always be here to support you," Hotch stated and Chris responded 'I know' appreciatively. The BAU team were her family. Whether she was with them or not, they always would be. Nothing was going to change that, not if she had anything to do with it. Hotch looked out the blinds of his office and down into the bullpen, where Emily, Morgan and Reid were gathered. Emily and Morgan were staring up into the office, wondering what was going on, while Reid kept his head low, blocking out their assumptions and questioning.

Chris followed his gaze, and chuckled softly, before taking in a deep, shuddery gulp of air. "They are going to ask a lot of questions," she breathed, turning back to Hotch, who concurred. "I should be surprised that they haven't managed to break Spencer down and get him to tell them what's going on, but Spencer is like a vault when it comes to secrets. If he thinks it's important, he'll never tell a person it... other than his mother."

"I've heard that," Hotch replied and he smiled slightly as she laughed to herself and then tilted her head to the right, an affectionate expression over coming her freckled features. Hotch allowed himself a moment of emotion, breaking away from his unemotional, impassive stance to give her an effortless grin. He wished her good luck, and she scoffed, pretending to flip her hair over her shoulder.

"Like I need it," she joked and he chuckled at her sarcasm. "I'll stay in touch," she assured him, going serious again and he nodded in response, before sitting down again. Recognising this as her sign of dismissal, she bowed her head once more and then left his office. Emily quickly pretended she hadn't been watching, turning and sitting down at her desk, while Morgan watched Chris stride along the platform and down to the bullpen, going to her desk.

It was cleared, something Morgan had already noticed that morning, and his eyes rapidly took note of the missing Colt and bade on her belt, his dark eyes narrowing on her her dangerously "Where do you think you are going, Sugar-mama?" he rumbled, and Chris looked up at him from where she was shutting down her computer, unable to speak. Morgan straightened, from where leant on the edge of his desk, setting his coffee down on the surface of it. He crossed his arms over his broad chest.

"It looks like you are leaving us... got me wondering why we haven't heard about this yet," Morgan declared and Chris gulped slightly. She was in no way scared of Morgan, but more of his reaction to the news. Emily furrowed her eyebrows, realising that those papers she had seen Chris filling out on the jet the night before were her resignation papers. Morgan growled. "They are making you do this. They are making you leave, aren't they? Dammit, they can't do this!"

"Derek, stop... I'm leaving because I want to," she stated. Morgan stared at her, and then shook his head and pointed at her, snapping 'This is bullshit'. Chris winced, as he turned and stormed away. Emily gaped at the retreating dark-skinned man and looked at Chris. The other woman's lips had pursed as she bobbed her head, having expected the reaction. Reid scowled, facing the direction that Morgan had stalked off in and then went to follow him.

"How long until he talks to me again, do you think?" Chris asked, and Emily rose her eyebrows, shrugging.

"Probably a lot sooner than I will," she retorted, causing Chris to looked at her. The younger woman was apprehensive, and she slowly moved round Reid's desk to Emily's, realisation slowly dawning on her. "Why did you lie to me, Chris? You knew it wasn't the goddam flu, and you still lied about it. I had to find out the bathroom of a hotel room, rather than having someone I should be able to trust with my life tell me about it. It's bloody ridiculous, Chris!"

"I wanted you to realise it on your own," Chris excused herself softly. She felt childlike, as if she was being reprimanded by her mother for breaking a glass or fighting with her sister. The worst part wasn't the anger and frustration that was evident in Emily's voice, it was the disappointment in her, in her actions. Ashamed, Chris looked down at her feet, biting her lip while Emily shook her head. Her eyes, against her better reasoning, started to brim with tears.

"Chris, do you not think that if I wanted anyone to tell me I was pregnant, it would be the person that I am supposed to be able to trust with my health and well being. You are our Health Medical Specialist. You have to keep us informed of any changes in our physical and emotional well being, but you didn't. You blatantly lied to me!" Emily snapped. She tried to keep her voice low, it coming out gravely with a heavy undercurrent of discontent.

"You didn't do your job, and you let me go into the field, knowing my condition, knowing the risks it would put me in? I thought you were better than that, Charissa," Emily asserted, standing up and putting her hands on her hips. She was taller than Chris, a respectable 5'8 to Chris' 5'6. Chris flinched visibly, unable to look Emily in the eye. Emily closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"Emily, you wouldn't have believed me. It was too early to truly tell. I couldn't be sure whether it was your time of the month or not, and you didn't share that you hadn't got your period this month," Chris explained, waving one hand and Emily's eyebrows knit together. Chris sighed, playing with the end of her ponytail. "I shouldn't have lied, I know that. It went against every one of my judgements, but I couldn't tell you the truth."

"Why? Chris, how can I trust you when you are not honest with me?" Emily questioned, and Chris looked at her, pursing her lips and shrugging. 'I guess you can't' passed Chris' lips, and Emily scowled, her head bowing. "You really should have told me, Chris. I would have listened, I would have believed you, if you had just told me the truth. When hav e I ever not believed you before?"

"I'm sorry... I just it was best if you found out yourself," Chris mumbled. Emily tilted her head, exhaling heavily as she looked at the dejected woman, before she pulled her into her arms, giving her a tight hug. Chris blinked in surprise, before she sniffed and wrapped her arms around her friend, hugging her tightly. "I am really sorry, Em," she breathed, remorsefully and Emily bobbed her head.

"I know you are," Emily told her, and Chris pulled away from her. They both knew that Emily wouldn't able to completely trust Chris' for a while, but Emily was too good a person to hold a grudge, and Chris was too insistent to let her. The thirty year old woman licked her lips and smiled weakly at Emily, and Emily quickly decided to change the subject, knowing that it was useless to prolong the issue. Emily had laid into her, and Chris had apologised, and there was honestly nothing more that could be done at that time.

"So you are actually leaving?" she questioned and Chris nodded, smiling tightly. Emily whistled under her breath, raising her eyebrows. "Wow... I honestly didn't think you would leave. I mean, we're family. What bought this on?" Emily inquired and Chris leaned against Emily's desk, crossing her arms and shrugging. It wasn't really one thing that had led to this, but a number of them.

"I suppose really that it's my children. This job is so difficult, and takes so much, that I'm just not able to let it take my children. At any moment we can be called up, taken away from them, and I just... I can't let them, if something happens, lose both their mother and their father. At least if, god forbid, something goes wrong, or Spencer gets hurt... at least this way they still have me to be there," Chris rationalised, looking Emily in the eye. There was more to it, so much more, that Emily could see than just that, but she refrained from asking about it.

"Have you spoke to Garcia? Because you know she will try and interfere if you don't. She doesn't want anyone leaving the family," Emily pushed and Chris nodded, informing Emily that Garcia and her had spoken the day before about Chris leaving. Emily rose her eyebrows, so much so that if they could they would have disappeared into her hairline. "How did she take that one?"

"As well as Garcia could," Chris joked and Emily shook her head in amusement, chuckling softly. Chris looked around the bullpen, smiling sadly. "I'm going to miss this place. Not so much the cases and the odd hours, but I'll miss working with everyone. It's like leaving home for the first time."

"You sound like you aren't ever coming back. You can, you know? When James is older, you could always retrain at the Academy and join back up," Emily pointed out, sitting back down in her chair. Chris refuted the idea, looking up at the offices along the higher platform.

"No... I think I'm going to go back to nursing. It was what I originally wanted to do, and I loved to do it. After James starts Pre-K I'll retrain and go back to work, but I want to enjoy the time I have with my children, not waste it away from them," Chris revealed and Emily concurred, a soft glow about her as she placed her hand on her stomach. Chris smirked slightly. "Well, it looks like you'll understand that soon enough, Mommy."

"Oh, that's not even funny," Emily scoffed, and Chris scrunched up her nose, chuckling. Emily rolled her eyes, before she lifted her bag from the floor and pulled out her pregnancy test, careful to hide it so that only Chris could see it, and not Hotch, who kept looking out of the window of his office. She hadn't been able to let it go since the day before, keeping it with her all night. Truthfully, she honestly didn't believe it. "I keep thinking it's a false positive."

"There is no such thing as a false positive, Emily," Chris stated, and Emily's face fell slightly as she looked at the little pink plus sign. There was no such thing...

_-12:45pm (Quantico, Virginia)-_

Emily mindlessly stirred her cup of ginger tea, her mind completely blank as she stared into the steaming liquid. he combined smell of ginger and lemon was enough to calm her stomach, which had been wreaking havoc on her for the last hour. The sickness hadn't been so bad when she woke up, calmed considerably since the day before, but it was returning with a vengeance now.

Her forehead rested against the wall cabinet door, and her other hand rubbed over her stomach as she let the steam of the tea float up to her face, inhaling the calming scent greedily. She was so fascinated by the cup of tea, entranced by the smell of it, that she didn't notice Garcia come up behind her until the blond haired woman put a hand on her shoulder.

Emily nearly jumped out her skin, her heart racing and dark eyes going wide, her hand gong to the but of her Glock in shock.

"Whoa, jumpy lady, didn't mean to scare you sweetheart," Garcia apologised, and Emily put her hand over her heart, counting down under her breath as she smiled weakly at Garcia, who held her mug in both hands, a curious look on her face behind horn-rimmed yellow diamanté glasses.

"Are you alright, Em? You seem out of it, which isn't normally like you. You're so on track and all busy-body normally."

"It's nothing. I just haven't been feeling well the last few days. I'll be fine," Emily declared, her voice wavering slightly at the end and Garcia rose her eyebrows, asking 'are you sure' suspiciously. It wasn't like Garcia to let something go, and if Emily was keeping secrets, Garcia would be the first to know. Her wrath wasn't something that people wanted to be submitted to. Ever.

"Yes, I promise. everything is fine. Don't go all Spanish inquisition on me."

"If you say so, sugar. But remember, the amazingly sexy Penelope Garcia always finds out. I'm awesome like that," Garcia winked and Emily laughed, before she softened her gaze. Garcia pouted, shaking her head quickly. "Oh no, don't do that! If I'm not allowed to question you, you are not allowed to question me. I to am perfectly fine, as the most magnificent person to become a hacker ever. I will not cry because you go all questionable on me."

"You are allowed to be upset she is gone, Garcia," Emily pushed and Garcia quickly shook her head, setting her vibrant, flowery mug on the side and holding up both her hands. The blond was as vibrant as ever, wearing a pink printed vintage dress with a white sash around the waist and a square neckline, and she wore it under a vibrant pink blazer with large broaches and feather pinned to the lapels. On her feet she wore bright heels, in typical Garcia fashion, and her hair was a jumble of curls and buns.

"No, I'm not, because if I get upset, then I'm weak, and I am not weak, Emily. I'm not weak. Chris is happy, she isn't being forced to go, so I won't be upset that she has gone. I will not. I'm thinking of pandas, posies and puppies so don't try and make me upset because I won't be," Garcia rambled and the corners of Emily's lips turned up, as Garcia took a shuddery breath, wiping under her eyes rapidly with her index finger.

Garcia had already done her crying the day before, and she was not going to let it get to her again. Chris had willingly made the decision to leave, she had said goodbye and both had assured the other that they would see each other again soon enough for Anna's birthday. Nothing was going to change. Everything was going to be normal and Garcia was going to make it all okay, because that was what she did. She made things okay.

"If that's the way you feel, then alright. But if you need to talk, I'm here for you. Whenever you need me," Emily reminded her, keeping a comforting and empathic tone to her voice. Garcia's hair bounced as she nodded rapidly, glowing at Emily as she picked up her mug again.

"I know. And I won't. Because I'm not going to be upset," Garcia insisted, powering on with her train of thought. Emily chuckled at her determination, as Garcia poured herself a fresh cup of coffee. She looked over at Emily's cup, and then got a pleased expression on her face, a secret smile on her lips. "It's good to see you are staying off the coffee, Emily. You know how bad that stuff is for you?"

Emily narrowed her eyes suspiciously, as Garcia hummed and sipped her coffee, bouncing away in that chipper, carefree way she had about her. Hotch rose an eyebrow as he neared the kitchenette, holding his empty cup in one hand. Emily's gaze flit to him the moment she sensed him getting closer, her lips falling into a natural grin as she gazed at him. He maintained his normal stoic expression, standing tall and rigid as he approached her, but she could see the softening of his eyes. He looked at her, taking in her appearance and behaviour.

"Are you feeling any better, Emily?" he asked, keeping his voice low, and she bobbed her head. Leaning against the counter, she watched him as he poured himself a fresh cup of coffee. He shifted to look at her. "You shouldn't be in today, Emily. If you over-work yourself when you are ill than it will take you longer to recover. I can't have my agents compromised._ I can't have you compromised_."

"Aaron, I'm fine. I promise, alright? I just feel a bit nauseas, but that is what this cup of ginger tea is for," Emily stated, lifting her cup and inhaling the scent slowly. Hotch eyed the cup, his eyebrows heavy over his eyes.

"Haley used to drink ginger tea all the time, when she was pregnant with Jack," Hotch mentionned, tone even and unshakable, and Emily tensed slightly, her eyes shifting away from Hotch and over to her desk, were her bag sat on her desk, before she looked back at the man, an uneasy look on her face.

"Yeah... JJ told me about it, great for nausea or the flu. It's a herbal remedy," Emily told him. It wasn't lying technically... it was just delaying the truth for a bit. It wouldn't be a good idea to tell him she was pregnant at work. In fact, it could go terribly if she did. They had to be on her territory so that she could, as bad as it seemed, hide if it went badly. She would feel much more secure if she was in her own home. The problem was though, that she wasn't quite sure where that was anymore.

"You should be resting, Emily," Hotch grumbled, and Emily's lips turned up in a half-smile as she placed her hand over his on the counter, tilting her head to the side slightly. Mockingly, she asked 'is that an order, sir?' and he gave her a sharp look. Emily wasn't offended though, knowing how hard it was for Hotch to show his feeling at work. Hotch looked around, and seeing it was clear, set his cup down, bringing her hand up to his lips. Emily flushed, her eyes gentle as she watched him.

"Not an order, Emily, merely an observation. I can't make you leave," he scowled, and Emily chuckled, pressing her lips to his without a care to who could see. Then, as son as she did it, she pulled back, her hand on his arm.

"I'm grateful you aren't trying to," she informed him, and he rolled his eyes, shaking his head. Emily wondered just how long that would last once he found out she was pregnant. She knew Hotch, and when he became protective of something, that instinct almost took over him. He was almost insanely over-protective, and most of the time, she could understand it, but god knows how bad it was going to be when he found out she was pregnant.

"Trust me, I wish I was," Hotch responded gravely, and Emily frowned slightly, but bobbed her head in acknowledgement.

_-16:36pm (Quantico, Virginia)-_

Rossi drummed his fingers on the top of his desk, gazing out the window from his swivel seat. The expression on his face was distant, pondering as he gripped a letter in his hand. He moved his hand to his chin, scrubbing over the buzz goatee that was there. Then, with a growl, he crumpled the letter up and threw it into the trash can, turning to his desk. Rossi stalled slightly, when he saw the figure of JJ in the doorway to his office, blond eyebrows raised as she looked at him.

"What was that about?" she asked, inquisitive and Rossi said 'Nothing', irritation running under the smooth New York Accent he had. JJ stepped into his office, a disbelieving look on her face as she set the files she was holding down on his desk and crossed her arms over her chest. "I may not be a profiler, but I know this team well enough to tell when one of you are lying. I have never seen you get frustrated so much that you growl before."

"It's nothing, JJ, don't worry," Rossi assured her, and JJ hummed, letting it slide. She wasn't away to push it, if he didn't want to tell her, she wouldn't make him. Rossi looked at the files on his desk. "Do we have another case?" he asked, and she blinked, before looking down at the files and then shaking her head

"Oh, no... these are cases that need to be signed off on. They were solved recently," JJ informed him, and Rossi rose an eyebrow, nodding slowly. It wasn't very often that they got cases that were solved. To know that there were more criminals being taken off the street without their involvement was comforting. It reminded him that they weren't always necessary to catch a killer.

"Did you need something from me?" he asked, the irritation leaving his voice as he looked at the blue-eyed woman and she shook her head, smiling in that way that only a mother could.

"Just come in for a chat then? What do you want to talk about?" he questioned and JJ looked at him, as he gestured to the seat opposite his desk with a lopsided smile. Talking to JJ would get his mind off his problem. She was an interesting woman.

The blonde settled in the chair opposite his desk, crossing her legs and clasping her hands in her skirt clad lap, her blue eyes swirling. She bit her lip before speaking. "Why did Chris leave?" she asked, quickly, and Rossi blinked, thinking it was likely he should have expected that, but not actually having expected the question. Rossi sighed and leaned forward, leaning his elbows on the top of his desk.

"I think that it was just her time. Everybody has a limit in this job, and she reached hers," Rossi stated and JJ frowned, looking down at her shoes. Rossi gave her a sympathetic look. "JJ, everyone on the team became an Agent by their own choice. They all came from backgrounds previously in Law Enforcement or Military. Chris didn't, she was a nurse. She wasn't trained like we were, and so she reached her limit for this sooner than everyone else."

"I feel like I should be more upset... but... to be honest, I can understand why she left. Sometimes, this job can just be too much," JJ said after a moment, and Rossi concurred. He knew how difficult the job could be, he had ruined three marriages because of it, and he wasn't even having the chance to work on the fourth yet. A small smile came onto JJ's lips and she looked at Rossi. "So, have you noticed any changes in Emily and Hotch? I mean, I've picked up some, but you are a profiler."

"Wouldn't you like to know," he joked and she rolled her eyes, before laughing slightly. Rossi's eyes flickered down to his bin, a motion that JJ noticed, before he spoke, leaning back in his chair. "I have noticed them being even closer that they were. You think that they slept together again?"

"Oh, I would bet money on it," JJ grinned, and Rossi whistled happily. JJ's blue eyes sparkled as she looked at him, before she ran her hand through her loose hair. She wore a simple, charcoal grey pinstripe suit with a light blue shirt and black heels, a light gloss applied to her lips. "We may of went about getting them together all wrong, but they seem to be working incredibly well together, don't they?"

"Yes, they do... and we make one hell of a team," Rossi declared, a rather sly look on his face. JJ tapped the tips of her fingers against her knee, her eyes flicking over to waste paper bin. Rossi shook his head. "It's just a letter, Jen. Don't think about it. It really isn't important."

"If it's not important, then why won't you tell me what it is? Is it from one of your divorce lawyers?" JJ asked curiously and Rossi shook his head, looking grim. JJ heard him mutter 'I wish it was' under his breath, and she furrowed her eyebrows, concerned at how troubled he seemed. "Dave... what is in the letter that has you so on edge?"

"JJ, it's nothing, don't worry about it. Besides you need to get those files signed off," he stated, and her jaw dropped slightly at the obvious end to the conversation. Narrowing her eyes, she gave him a look that clearly stated the conversation was no where near over, as she lifted the files of the desk and hugged them to her chest, heading out of his office. She paused when he called her name, and looked over her shoulder at him. "Please, JJ, don't worry, I am dealing with it."

"Alright. Just remember though, we are a family, Dave, if you have a problem, we all want to help you deal with it. You don't have to do it alone," JJ asserted, her eyes soft as she looked at him, and he nodded once, giving her a small smile as she left, closing the door behind her. Rossi exhaled heavily, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small velvet box.

Idly, he flicked the lid open and gazed at the 'A' pendant inside, his thumb sliding over the long silver edge. Then he stood from his chair and went around to the bin, dropping the velvet box and the pendant in it carelessly and leaving his office, a dark expression on his face.

_-20:54pm (Quantico, Virginia)-_

Emily knocked on the door to Hotch's office softly, leaning against the door frame. He looked up from his paperwork, his eyebrows heavy over his hazel eyes. Emily gave him a gracious look, her arms crossed over her chest as she held onto the strap of her handbag. She wore a black trench coat over her light grey pencil skirt, and white shirt, with knee-high black suede wedge boots.

"Emily, I thought you had left already," he stated and she rose her eyebrows, a knowing look on her face as she came over to his desk. She sat on the edge, her head tilted to the side as he gazed up at her.

"I was waiting for you, but you obviously don't have any plans of being finished work soon," she retorted, and he shifted his eyes from her to his work, not saying anything to refute the fact. Emily tutted, shaking her head, looking at the brand new stack of files piled into his paper tray with a scowl. "Aaron, you are going to work yourself to death. Where did all these files come from anyway?"

"They were the ones that Chris never had the chance to finish before she left," Hotch informed her. Emily's eyebrow knit together, in confusion as to why Hotch was doing Chris' leftover paperwork. Hotch ran his hand through his short, coal black hair, a slightly frustrated expression on his face. "Chris took on the majority of the paperwork when Derek became Unit Chief. She didn't stop when he stepped down. She's been doing most of the paperwork for the department ever since. I'd actually forgotten how much there was."

"That's... insane," Emily murmured and Hotch chuckled, nodding slowly as he closed up the brown paper file, leaning back and looking at her tiredly. She licked her lips, her eyes fluttering slightly as she beamed at him. "Aaron, you have got to go home. Jack's probably waiting for you, and it's nearly nine o'clock," Emily pushed, and he looked at his watch, not having realised that it was actually getting quite late now.

"Are you coming to stay the night?" he asked, and Emily shook her head. Hotch frowned, setting his pen down on top of the file. "Why?" he queried and she laughed softly, leaning forward and kissing him airily. Her hand went to his cheek, thumb stroking over his lightly stubbled cheek. The concerned expression that had been on his face started to melt as she stared into his eyes.

"Aaron, I haven't got any clothes at your place. The only reason I had this to wear today is because I had my go-bag with me. I need to go back to my apartment, I have to feed Sergio... and do some washing... before I completely run out of things to wear," Emily said the last part jokingly, and he smirked slightly. She kissed him again, leaning over his desk and he went to wrap his arms around her waist, pulled her closer when she quickly moved away.

If she continued to kiss him, there would be almost no way that she would be going to her own apartment that night.

"Will you stay tomorrow? Jack'll want to spend time with you," Hotch pointed out, and she smirked, responding 'And you don't?' playfully. She reached out and fiddled with his tie, loosening the knot on it and undoing his top button. His eyebrows lowered darkly over his eyes at that, and she smirked, rolling her eyes. It would drive him crazy, not looking exactly right in the office.

"I see you every day. It's different for Jack, he wants you to be his Mommy Emmy at all times and to always be around," Hotch said. Emily rose her eyebrows, crossing her arms over her chest and Hotch realised how that sounded. Quickly, he backtracked, stumbling slightly over his words. "Not that I don't love having you around... I mean, it's amazing to get to actually know you and be with you."

Emily flushed, and chuckled slightly, her eyes widening at what he said. Hotch was as stoic as ever, the patented 'Hotchner' brooding expression masking his features. His chest constricted slightly though, as he watched her shift nervously, her tongue darting out between her lips.

"You know... I might actually come to your place after all," she muttered, and he cocked an eyebrow, corners of his lips turning up slightly as she eyed him. Emily lightly brushed her lips against his. "I mean, I know how painful that must have been.. and everyone knows that good things deserve amazing rewards..."

"Amazing is something you most definitely are," he drawled, his hand going around the back of her neck. He had shifted so he was almost standing, leaning over his desk to meet her lips. Both of them had forgotten where they were, too caught up in each other to remember that they were in his office as his lips moved slowly against hers. It was light, teasing kisses as her arms wrapped around his neck, with difficulty thanks to the desk between them.

She loved the way his lips caressed hers, slightly rough and chapped against her soft, plump red tinted mouth. His thumb stroked over the smooth, creamy skin of her cheek, moving perfectly in sync with his kisses. Her stomach fluttered, every nerve in her body firing up in response to his lips against her, deliberately slow and almost cruel in how soft they pressed.

Emily's brain pushed her to make it more, to get closer and press herself against him almost completely. She need to be closer to him, needed to feel him against her skin. The damn desk was in the bloody way though, preventing that. Tearing her lips from his, she glared down at the offending object and he chortled lightly, shaking his head at her expression.

"That is an irritating desk," she grumbled darkly, letting go of his neck and crossing her arms, feeling slightly huffy. Hotch pushed a stray lock of hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear before he began to collect his things and packing them into his briefcase. "Can we stop by my apartment? I want to feed Sergio and get some clothes if I am going to stay at your place."

"Of course... I thought you said all your clothes were dirty?" he questioned, and Emily nodded. Hotch scowled, clasping the buckles on his briefcase. "You can use my washing machine," Hotch stated and Emily rose and eyebrow, before responding 'That was the plan' mockingly. Hotch bowed his head at her bluntness and grinned slightly, as she smirked at him.

Lifting his briefcase, he slung his coat over his arm and grabbed his phone and keys. Turning off the lamp, he made sure everything was off, before he looked at her again. She looked at him, curiously. "Ready to go home?" she asked, and Hotch concurred.

"More than ready."

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><p><strong>Remember to review :) Cyber cookies for all who do!<strong>

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**Hope you enjoyed!**


	18. 08 November 2012 Morning

**A/N: This is a Hotch/Emily story.**

**OMG, I can't believe we got seventy five reviews! That is so awesome :) That you to everyone that reviewed, you are the best (have an extra cyber-cookie :)) If I haven't given you your cyber-cookie yet, than I promise it's not because I have forgotten you, it's because I was working on this chapter so hard!  
>... and also because my little brother stole the computer for a whole two days :( <strong>

**But anyway! Hope you enjoy this chapter :) Lets get to eighty reviews for this one :) I think it's got a little bit of everything in it :) tell me what you like, what you don't like... what you really like... and you shall receive an adorable bunny! If I can get them to work... :D**

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><p><strong>Alteration<strong>

_08 November 2012  
>-03:34am (Washington D.C, D.C)-<em>

Emily's eyebrows furrowed and she rubbed her stomach as she breathed in and out slowly, trying to ease the nausea that was attacking her painfully. She was in the bathroom of Hotch's apartment in the Langham building. Her left hand pressed and massaged her stomach over the ivory fabric of her nightgown with her right hand, left gripping the bathroom counter so tight her knuckles were white.

From her conception date, she was nearly ten weeks pregnant. If she went by doctors way of calculating it, which she found easier, she was already in her second trimester. She hadn't even been able to tell Hotch yet. She had tried to, several times. But somehow every time she comes somewhat close to telling him, something gets in the way like they get called on a case or Jack would want their attention or, the most frustrating reason of all, she would chicken out and be unable to say goddam thing.

Taking a deep breath, she straightened her hunched form and ran her hands through her dark hair. Staring at her reflection, Emily scowled. The actual vomiting had managed to dwindle down to only occurring early in the morning, but the nausea was ever present at all hours, twisting her stomach and making her feel lousy. Ginger tea, dry crackers and pre-natal vitamins could only do so much to ease it, which meant that she was a sickly grey colour nearly all the time now.

She turned the cold tap and made a bowl with her hands, splashing her face with the cool water and then scrubbing her face with her hands. She had to tell Hotch... Emily had managed to avoid being in the field too much the last few cases that the team had taken, sticking in the Police stations as much as she could without arousing suspicion, but she was twelve weeks now and she was already showing, her stomach bloating and she had gained twelve pounds already. Hiding it was becoming near impossible, she looked like she was four months pregnant and it was getting ridiculous.

Honestly, Emily could only wear loose jumpers for so long before people began to point it out. She turned to the side and lifted her nightgown, exposing the rounded stomach and placing her palm over it. She scoffed slightly, but grinned to herself, despite the nausea. She was going to be a mommy... She was going to have a baby, with her eyes and Hotch's dimples and tiny, tiny little hands and miniature feet...

Emily was broke from her thoughts by a light tapping on the bathroom door. Dropping her nightgown quickly, she glanced up, startled. "Just a minute," she quickly said, drying her face on the hand towel and smoothing down her hair. She went to open the door, when Hotch pushed it open, yawning and rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. He was still half asleep, in a pair of loose blue boxers and a plain white tee, his coal black hair sticking up in random directions.

"Aaron... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," she apologised softly, feeling guilty for disturbing him from his sleep. He just shook his head, coming up to her and placing his hands on her shoulders, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. Emily rose her eyebrows, looking at him curiously. "You're not mad then?"

"'Course not... Haley was up all hours when she was pregnant with Jack..." Hotch grumbled, scrubbing his face with his hand and Emily tensed, her eyes widening with surprise. Then, almost as soon as they had, she relaxed again, closing her eyes and groaning to herself. Of course Hotch would be able to see it. She spent more time with him in the last two months than she had anyone else.

"How long have you known I was pregnant?" she questioned quietly, knowing that it would be useless to deny it. Hotch was a seasoned profiler, a father, and knew how to get information out of some of the most hardened, cruellest of UnSubs. If she even tried to deny it, he would shut her down faster than she could fire a round. Hotch leant against the counter, holding her hands in his and stroking the back of them with his thumbs.

"Five weeks, knew for certain when you offered to stay at the station on the Charlottesville case... I was waiting for you to tell me. Didn't want you to think that I was profiling you," he told her, before he yawned again widely, covering his gaping mouth with his large hand and squeezing his eyes shut. "I was starting to worry you were planning on never telling me."

"Aaron... you knew all this time?" Emily breathed, and Hotch gave her a half-grin, raising his eyebrows. His eyes were still blurry, tired from lack of sleep. He had only been asleep for about four hours, waking up when he rolled over to find Emily gone from the bed. Emily was on even less sleep, having an interrupted sleep for three hours before she woke up. Emily's jaw dropped, before she shook her head and leaned forward, pressing her lips to his gently.

"You are... an amazing man... Aaron Hotchner..." she mumbled in between soft kisses to his lips, caressing them with her own and winding her arms around his neck. Hotch placed his hands on her hips, pulling her closer to him so that she was flush against him. His forehead rested against hers, and he closed his eyes, exhausted. Emily giggled lightly, brushing her nose against his before inhaling deeply, her own tiredness creeping back up on her, momentarily overpowering her nausea.

"That's the general consensus," Hotch responded jokingly, and Emily chuckled weakly, before her eyes drifted shut, feeling heavy. Hotch scowled. "Alright... lets get you back to bed, we have to be up for work in... well, three hours," he grumbled, and Emily bobbed her head sleepily, before resting it in the crook of his neck. With a pleased look, Hotch navigated her to the bedroom, keeping his hands on her hips to guide her down the halway.

He paused at the door, seeing Jack curled up in the centre of the bed, under the blankets. Emily cooed gently, and drifted away from Hotch, around to the left side of the bed. She brushed Jack's hair from his face, her expression tender.

"He must have had... a nightmare..." Emily yawned drowsily. Hotch concurred, climbing into the bed behind Jack. The boy grumbled and snuggled into him, as Emily slid under the blankets, a chill starting to attack her skin, causing goosebumps to become erect over her body before she adjusted to the warmth under the quilt. Her arm draped over Jack, and she gazed languidly at Hotch in the dark.

He still had a brooding expression, his brain over-active even in the early hours and on very little sleep. Emily's eyes fluttered closed and she hummed softly. "What are you thinking, Aaron?" she sang drowsily, opening one eye lazily. Even half-asleep she could already see it, the protective gleam starting to spark in his eyes as he looked at her, reaching over Jack and placing his hand on her waist.

"You should be grounded... it's not safe for you to be in the field..." he stated, his voice quiet over Jack. Emily glowered at him, protesting. She was not going to just give up her job like that. Sure, she would be perfectly willing to stay at the stations, but she refused point lank not to do her job. JJ worked right up until she went into labour with Henry. Emily was perfectly able to stay working. "Emily, you are pregnant... you can't be in the field, it's too dangerous.'

"You had no problem with it when it was JJ, Aaron," Emily hissed, feeling more awake again. Jack mumbled in his sleep, frowning. Emily stroked his temple, calming him again as she glared at Hotch, who stared persistently back.

"That was different, Emily. I offered her the chance and she turned it down. Besides, when JJ was pregnant she wasn't having my baby. It's not just your baby at risk, Emily, it's mine too," Hotch growled and she pursed her lips, her hand covering Jack's exposed ear so he wouldn't be disturbed by their conversation.

"That's a double standard if there ever was one, Hotch. I'll stay at the station, alright? and I'll keep out of field as much as possible, but I am not quitting my job and you most certainly are not going to force me to stay at Quantico while you all go off on cases. I am part of the team," Emily insisted, her eyebrows furrowing. Hotch moved his hand from her waist, resting it on Jack's back, going tense.

"I know you are, but the job is dangerous and I don't want you in harm's way. You or the baby," he grumbled, unrelenting and Emily grit her teeth, eyes narrowed. Hotch closed his eyes, before his expression turned slightly pleading. "Emily, please... just..."

"I'm going to sleep, Hotch, we can talk about this in the morning," she said tightly, and she rolled over so she was facing the wall, her back to him. She tucked her hand under her pillow and closed her eyes, her nose twitching slightly as she settled. Hotch's eyebrows were heavy over his eyes as he stared at her form before he reached over and put his hand on her waist.

Emily sighed as she felt the added weight, before she turned back around, looking at him. Giving him a small smile, she closed her eyes and put her arm over Jack, falling into a deep slumber. Hotch exhaled heavily and closed his own eyes, feeling completely exhausted.

_-09:45am (Quantico, Virginia)-_

"The team are already briefed and organised, Detective, we will be there as soon as we can," JJ said into her phone as she walked rapidly along the platform and into the bullpen, heading for Emily, Reid and Morgan's desks. Her expression was focused as she did so, her stride confident and form straight. In her arms she carried a set of files and the team's pads, her go-bag slung over her shoulder.

Emily was lifting her black go-bag onto her desk, before she paused and rubbed her back over her grey suit jacket. Her shirt underneath was loose, and covered the band of her trousers hanging to her mid-thigh. Secretly, she had used a method that JJ had told her about to be able to wear her trouser, looping an elastic band through the buttonhole and around her button of the trousers.

The only reason she hadn't gone out and bought maternity wear was because it was far too soon. There was no possible way she could be big enough to need maternity wear. She didn't care that she looked four months pregnant and that she was wearing a shirt too sizes too big. She wasn't going to buy maternity wear. At least, not until after her first scan. Emily nearly groaned at that. Her first scan was scheduled for the Friday, but she was going to have to postpone it because of the case.

There was no need now to hide it from the rest of the team. JJ and Garcia already knew, she would bet money on it, and if Garcia knew, then Morgan definitely knew. If Hotch had found out easily, then there was no doubt that Rossi did too, and Chris would have told Reid by now. The team all knew she was pregnant, and now that she thought about it, they had known for a while.

Emily hadn't really realised it, but while she had been trying to keep herself out of the field as much as possible, they had been pushing her to stay behind at the station to do victimology, or a preliminary profile, or to talk to potential UnSubs in the interrogation rooms. She hadn't even noticed that even if she was sent out in the field, she was only sent with Morgan and Hotch, two incredibly efficient men with guns.

It was kind of sweet.

"Are you guys ready?" JJ asked, looking at them. She had called them in at seven that morning, after receiving an urgent phone call from the Chief Detective of the Carlington Falls Police Department in Wisconsin. The town had a population of 1500, and surrounded by rivers and woodlands... and it was covered in snow at the moment. Which meant all clothes had to be thick and warm.

Reid hung up his phone, silently pink as he said 'I love you too' to Chris, and putting his phone into his pocket. He smiled at JJ, his lips going thin as he did so and nodded, wrapping his purple patterned scarf around his neck.

"I'm good," he said, and Morgan playfully hit the man's cheek twice, a sly grin on his face.

"I bet you are, kid," he teased and Reid scowled at him, batting his hand away from his face. JJ warned them to play nice, however there was a small smile on her face as she did so. Morgan had gotten over his upset about Chris suddenly leaving, only after the two had a long, rather unhealthy dispute about it in the living room of the Reid's home. Eventually, Morgan had understood her reasoning, and while he didn't like it that she had left the team, he had accepted it.

"Behave, boys, I don't want to ground you both," JJ pushed and Reid pouted as he put the bag strap of his satchel over his head, holding onto it as JJ dished out the tablet pads for the technologically able members of the team, and handed Reid the hard copy. "Reread them on the way to the airport. I want everyone to be completely aware of the details for this case, there is something off about it."

"Off? Like what?" Reid asked, intrigued and JJ shrugged, responding 'I'm not sure' uneasily before she inhaled and turned to Emily. Emily rubbed her stomach, her nose scrunched up slightly as she fought a bout of nausea. Morgan sensed a 'girl-talk' approaching and grabbed Reid's arm, pulling him away. They began to head towards the glass doors out of the BAU offices, and Reid floundered slightly, rapidly pushing the documents all together into his hard file.

"What? Where are we going?"

"Away," Morgan declared simply, his go-bag over his shoulder and arm around Reid's neck. Emily licked her lips apprehensively, staring at the blond and leaning back against the desk, her legs aching slightly. The warmly dressed JJ placed her hand on Emil'y arm, her eyes fretful as she looked down at Emily's all to obvious bump. Emily's hand came up to it protectively, her eyebrows furrowing over her eyes heavily.

"Maybe you should stay here, Emily... just for this case," JJ suggested and Emily groaned loudly, cursing her friend for being so vigilant in protecting her family. At the same time though, she felt warm with how they were trying to take care for her, and Emily's cheeks tinged red slightly as she looked at JJ. "I know it's irritating not to go on cases, trust me, I've been there, Emily, but it's going to be really icy and cold in Carlington Falls. You could get really hurt out there."

Emily exhaled heavily, her shoulders slumping.

"JJ... I love you, you are one of my best friends... but I'm not going to stop doing my job because I could get hurt... I could get hurt walking down the street, JJ. It's a simple fact of life. So please, don't turn into Aaron and try and keep me from working, because I will be forced to do something that I really don't want to... like eat a gallon of ice cream," Emily finished and JJ shook her head, giggling slightly.

"Fine... but only if you promise to stay in the Police Department. We don't need you to slip on the ice on a case," JJ propositioned and Emily rolled her eyes, before concurring, a tender look on her face. JJ tilted her head and gave her friend a half-smile, before looking at her watch. She frowned, before hiking her bag onto her shoulder more. "Let's get down to the cars. We need to be on the Jet in forty minutes."

"Wait, what about Dave and Aaron?" Emily questioned, looking up to their offices above the bullpen. JJ licked her lips, following Emily's gaze with raised eyebrows as she replied 'They already left' slowly, wondering how the pregnant lady would react. Emily didn't react though, taking a long deep breath and bobbing her head.

"Okay... let's go then. They are waiting for us."

_-10:13am (Quantico, Virginia) 09:13am (Carlington Falls, Wisconsin)- _

Hotch watched Emily, who was settled comfortably into a plush chair on the Jet. He leant against the dark-wood bar, while Reid sat next to Emily, JJ sat opposite her and Morgan sat next to JJ. Rossi sat on the long sofa against the cabin wall, a pensive expression on his face. Reid's foot tapped incessantly, eyebrows furrowed over his dark eyes and lips pursed. He bought a hand to his temple, rubbing it with a wince.

"You okay, Reid?" Hotch asked, and the young man looked at him sharply, blinking in surprise. Reid nodded and then looked back down at the file, squinting slightly as he did so. Morgan looked apprehensively at Reid as well, his eyes flicking from Reid to Hotch and then returning to his i-pad, flicking through the images with a shadowed look. He was beginning to understand what exactly was 'off' with the case.

"These look like animal attacks... the victims were torn to shreds," he mused. Morgan stopped himself from gagging at one of the images, quickly sliding past it to the next. "You wouldn't even be able to tell these are actually people from looking at them. These crime scenes aren't just chaotic... they are insane. This UnSub we are dealing with... they are clearly psychotic."

"Psychosis is when a person has an abnormal condition of the mind, has lost contact with reality. This isn't just psychosis, even if the UnSub had delusions or hallucinations. To inflict this much harm to a victim, you would have to be relentless and incredibly energised. It would take hours to do this sort of torture," Reid interjected, looking up from his hard file. JJ frowned at the pain that was swirling in his eyes, his movements sharp and slightly erratic.

"The UnSub did it in fifteen minutes," Emily muttered, her tone horrified and stomach swirling. She was pale as she rubbed circular motions on her stomach, breathing in and out slowly. It wasn't as bad as before, and she didn't feel the bile rising in her throat like earlier that morning, but the sickness still persisted. Licking her lips, she looked up at Hotch, who had a blank expression on his face. "Could we be looking at a team? This must slaughter in fifteen minutes would have to be impossible for one UnSub."

"That was the initial consensus with the Police department, but they only found one set of footprints at the scene which did not belong to the family members," Rossi stated, and Emily frowned, her rotations on her stomach stopping and her hand resting on top of the bump. She hadn't realised that she had been rubbing her stomach, despite the fact that the rest of the team had. Rossi closed his tablet cover. "Tell me, Emily, when was your first scan?"

Emily looked up from her tablet, her jaw falling slightly she looked at him, her eyes flicking to Hotch. "Well... it was supposed to be Friday... but I cancelled the appointment because of the case," Emily informed him and Rossi rose an eyebrow. JJ though, looked more frustrated about this then Rossi, who was rather bemused. Hotch felt concerned at this admission, and even Reid was worried about that.

"You should have had your first scan by now..." he mumbled and Emily began to feel defensive at the stares from the other members of the team, her eyebrows furrowing heavily over her dark eyes, lips pursing. Reid shifted uncomfortably at the glower she was burning into him and stood rapidly from his seat, flustered, to get some coffee.

"He right, Emily. What if there is something wrong?" JJ questioned softly, and Emily grit her teeth, saying 'There is nothing wrong'' coldly. JJ winced slightly, licking her lips cautiously. She looked over at Hotch, who's expression hadn't changed. It was always hard to read Hotch, he normally only had three, which were 'unamused', completely unemotional and, for special people, the rare smile.

"There is a Doctor's surgery in Carlington Falls, correct?" Hotch asked JJ, who nodded, Hotch looked down at his tablet, scrolling down the information on the screen, before he looked at JJ. "Good, Emily and I will get an appointment there and we will all be able to have some peace of mind that our baby is in healthy, and safe, condition," he declared simply, not allowing room for argument from Emily.

She pursed her lips, glaring at him for dictating what she was going to, but allowing it for the sake of her baby. JJ had planted that seed of doubt in her mind, that there could be something wrong, and Emily honestly wouldn't be able to focus until she found out that her baby was healthy, no matter how professional she was supposed to be on a case. She hadn't felt this scared since Doyle, and it was for completely unrelated reasons.

"I'll make the appointment for you," JJ said, dutifully, a tender expression on her face as she gazed at Emily. Reid looked over, and deemed it safe to return, hesitantly sitting down in his seat that he had previously left. He had sunglasses on now, a headache heavy on his mind as he sat tensely in his chair. Rossi looked at him, before continuing with their earlier discussion of the case.

"The UnSub killed three people in one night all on the same street. One in the back garden of her home, another as she got out her car inside her garage and the third as she shovelled the snow from her front path. They were killed within the hours of eleven o'clock at night and one o'clock in the morning," Rossi submitted and Morgan frowned. Rossi faced him, sensing a change in the man's temperament.

"Why would someone shovel snow at one in the morning?" he asked, expression sober as he reopened his pad to look through the details again. JJ shrugged, biting her lip s she thought about the town.

"The town isn't that big. No one there probably ever expected to be any danger until now. It wouldn't be thought of as weird for someone to be shoveling snow that early in that sort of community. Plus, it was the first time in three days that it stopped snowing. That could have been the only time they had to get it done," JJ proposed, a speculative tone in her voice. Carlington Falls was only a small community. Not much happened there other than the occasional wedding and the Winter Festival at Christmas.

Morgan wasn't quite convinced, his expression serious and also slightly disturbed as he thought threw the case. "But still, it should be against all sense of self preservation to be out that late, alone, and if this community is so small, why did no one come to help them, or hear them screaming?" Morgan questioned, clearly frustrated with the case already. Reid got a dark lok on his face.

"Not probable, the homes in Carlington Falls are fortified completely as a way to protect from bears and wolves in the area. The have an increased concentration of predators in the immediate surroundings, and while they do not have a high number of fatalities from wolf or bear attacks in the town, the town does have the occasional death from animal attack. Any sound the victims made would have been muffled by the fortifications," Reid rambled, drumming his fingers against the top of the table, leg jigging.

"Also, the majority of the mutilations to the victims was done post-mortem. They were killed quickly, and then butchered after they were dead," Emily added, closing the tablet and pushing it away from her, slightly ill. "What would make them continue to disfigure the body after they were dead?"

"The UnSub's in a psychotic break. He might not even realise they are dead... if he is hallucinating, then he might not even realise they are people," Hotch mentioned, and Emily blinked at him, before concurring silently. "When we land, I want everyone to go straight to the police station. We aren't used to this type of terrain, nor are we used to dangers that the area has."

"Are the town supplying a guide?" Rossi queried, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in his seat. JJ hummed the affirmative, closing her tablet and relaxing slightly into her seat with a yawn. Henry had been up all night with a fever and she had been reluctant to leave his side while he was ill. It had taken Will's pushing to get her to even go into the BAU that morning. Rossi stroked his goatee with a scowl, his aged eyes thoughtful as he did so. "So the main problem we have now is figuring out when and where the UnSub will attack next."

"Or, if he even will... I mean, the UnSub wasn't seen in the town after the attacks, so he could have gone into the woods. If the weather didn't get him, it's highly likely the wolves and bears could have," Reid mused, looking at the team from behind his sunglasses.

_-13:09pm (Quantico, Virginia) 12:09pm (Carlington Falls, Wisconsin)-_

"It's absolutely freezing!" Emily hissed as the team made their way into the Police department. The snow crunched under their boots, each BAU member wearing a thick jacket and heavy layers to try and combat the cold. Morgan wore a black turtleneck sweater under a heavy black leather jacket, a scarf wrapped around his neck and black hat on his head. He wore black combat trouser and heavy black boots, the toes now caked in snow and his hands shoved into his coat pockets.

Reid shivered, his ears cold even with his fluffy grey earmuffs. His scarf was wound around his neck repeatedly, and he hugged his long, tweed tench coat around him as he trudged through the deep white fluff of the icy snow. He looked at Emily through the large falling flakes, his nose red and lips slightly blue.

"I don't like this place," he muttered and she agreed grumpily. Her own hair fell around her face, wearing a thick black jacket over her grey suit, hands tucked under her chin over her scarf, encased by thick gloves. JJ put a hand on Emily's arm to keep her steady, wearing white gloves and a matching white fluffy scarf and soft hat, with a tan trench coat over her light blue jumper and black trousers.

Hotch walked behind Emily, ready to catch her if she fell even though he looked as stoic and business-like as ever. The collar of his coat was turned up as a guard against the cold, over his grey pullover, white snow latching onto his dark hair. Rossi walked next to him, unable to hid the chattering of his jaw as they walked through the doors to the police station.

The sudden change in temperature caused them all to come to a standstill, the warmth washing over them like a sun's rays after a downpour of rain. Emily shook herself, trying to get the already rapidly melting snow off her before it drenched her clothes, while Hotch moved forward to the Chief Detective coming towards them. She was a small woman, and while she didn't appear to be physically domineering, her behaviour had an air of a woman who was clearly in charge and confident.

"Agent Hotchner, it's good to see you. I am so glad you were able to get here, what with weather and all. I'm Detective Winchester, but you can call me Mary, everyone else does around here," Mary said politely, holding out her hand. Hotch shook it, introducing the rest of the team as he did so, and the woman took turns in shaking each of their hands. Tehy were making quick work of stripping down their layers, the heat almost sweltering after the icy conditions outside.

"Thank you. It's good to be here, although it would be better under less horrific circumstances," Hotch countered, and Mary bobbed her head, a silvery blond curl of hair falling from her bun as she did so, looking around her office sadly. Hotch's expression didn't falter from its brooding seriousness, as he took in the small force.

There was only around ten officers in total, and the entire force was in one room, with an office for Mary and an interrogation room to the side. On the far side there was a set of double doors with a lock, leading to another part of the building, and the desks for the officers were organised in clusters, the boards with the cases along the back wall, and a notice board for other information on the wall between the doors to Mary's office and the interrogation room, a table holding a coffee maker and a large selection of coffee, tea and biscuits next to it. The floor under their feet was wooden laminate, and worn, the walls painted a soft yellow colour to make it feel warmer.

"I got a call from Agent Jareau saying you need an appointment for a prenatal scan? You're in luck, the surgery is through those doors, which means you won't need to go outside again to get to the appointment," Mary pointed to the locked doors, with a rather amused little smile. "The town's so small we don't have an official police station, so we make due with what we got."

"Yeah, and what we got... ain't a lot," a joking voice interrupted and Mary rolled her eyes as another officer came over, draping his arm casually over Mary's shoulders. "Ain't that right, Auntie Mary?" he asked, with a crooked grin and Mary pushed him away from her with a disapproving scowl.

"This is my nephew Eric Bower. He'll be your guide while y'all are in town. Not that there is much in town to be guided round, but he's an expert when it comes to the woods, no matter what the weather. Trust me, it's easy to get lost out there," Mary told them, a continuously happy tilt to her voice that persisted all through her. Hotch nodded his head as Emily moved next to him, her hand on her stomach.

"So where can we set up?" she asked, needing to sit down. Her ankles were cold and swollen, and she was in too much pain to care about formalities at that very moment. Mary gave her a tolerating, mothering look, knowing what the woman was going through and gestured to desks closest to the boards.

"I had Officer Parker and Officer Cook clear out their desks so y'all had somewhere to work. Go and have a seat, although I warn you now, y'all be up again soon. I managed to get you an appointment for as soon as possible, which means in about twenty minutes y'all be walking through those doors to meet our resident doctor in town, Doctor Clyde," Mary warned and Emily nodded, slightly perturbed by her intenseness. She walked away from them, heading for what she perceived to be the most comfortable seat, while Reid followed, to look at the large map pinned to the board.

"I didn't think that there would be time free for an appointment so soon," Hotch admitted, his eyebrows heavy over his eyes, and Mary laughed, shaking her head. JJ bit her lip, slightly amused and slid away to set up her laptop so they were in contact with Garcia, while Morgan decided to take an avid interest in the coffee maker and the selection of coffee available. Rossi hung about, watching Hotch with a rather indulgent expression.

"Well, I wanted you and your wife to be one hundred percent focused on the case, and I know that a baby often takes up all your thoughts," she reasoned, and Hotch nodded his head, her expression momentarily lapsing into a completely serious one, before she grinned again widely. "That and there were no other appointments for Clyde today. He would be bored witless in that office with just paperwork and the bodies to deal with. Best to give him something nice to do to make up for how... horrible the deaths from last night were."

"Forgive me, Detective, but you don't seem all that phased by these mutilations," Rossi interjected, and the happy expression that Mary had faltered and cracked for a moment, the inner insecurity that the woman had showing through. Rossi was valid in his justifications though. She didn't seem phased by them, the fact that these people, part of her community were so brutally murdered in their gardens.

"Auntie believes that no matter what the situation, you must always look on the bright side. There may not be a lot of brightness in this side, but she'll find it no matter what," Bower informed them, before he waltzed away, heading for his desk. Mary smiled fondly after him, and then turned back to Hotch and Rossi, the latter of which seemed to still be regarding her suspiciously, but dropping the subject.

"Agent Prentiss is not my wife, detective," Hotch informed her to clear up the misunderstanding, and Mary tensed visibly, her eyes narrowing slightly on Hotch. Carlington Falls was a religious little town, and while they weren't overly pushy about it, they did have a high moral standing, in which they believed that sex was a sacred act.

They didn't treat people who weren't married and parents any differently that those who were, but they preferred it if they were. Hotch grit his teeth, wondering where this conversation would go about his relationship, about what she might say to judge it, but Mary hummed instead, a gracious expression on her face.

"Well then... either way you still have that little baby in momma's tummy to be seen to, Agent Hotchner," she pushed, her voice overtly polite. Hotch concurred, his eyes flicking over to where Emily was rubbing her ankle, a dark look on her face as she did so. Mary looked at her watch, and chirped happily, slightly nervous from the way the conversation was going.

"Oh, you and Agent Prentiss best be off to see the Doctor, Agent Hotchner. Once you're appointments finished, we can start distributing duties. It doesn't make sense to do it while you are away after all, everyone will be distracted by your disappearance," Mary declared, and while Hotch knew that his team would be perfectly capable of working the case while they were away, he didn't want to cause friction between the detective and the team.

"We'll go now," Hotch submitted, voice strong and deep. Mary gave him a gracious look, singing under her breath in delight before she excused herself to her office. Rossi shook his head, unsettled by the overtly-chipper chief detective and turned to Hotch. The younger man seemed just as disturbed, something Rossi could only tell from years of reading Hotch's behaviour and cataloguing his expressions and body language.

"That woman... is extremely disconcerting," Rossi pointed out, and Hotch agreed silently. Rossi smirked and gazed over at Emily. "You should go to that appointment now. Before the jolly detective returns to talk some more... or Emily decides that she is in bad enough a mood to kill Reid for bothering her."

"I'll take her through soon, just... start to get the profile together, I don't want to be here any longer than necessary," Hotch asserted wearily, keeping his voice low so no one could hear him, eyeing the officers in the room darkly. Rossi acknowledged this, in full agreement. The whole case was just weird and Mary hadn't been any consolation, seemingly just as weird as the case was.

No one should be that happy, it was just unnatural.

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><p><strong>Remember to read and review please :) They are what keep me going :) <strong>

**Hope you like the chapter!**


	19. 08 November 2012 Afternoon, Evening

**A/N: This is a Hotch/Emily story.**

**Alright, it's a long one... but I promise it's good :) I hope you all enjoy it! Major developments in this chapter which I will not spoil for you . Thank you all for getting us to 81 reviews! That is brilliant! Would it be too greedy to ask to get to 90? I think it might be... :/ **

**Anyway, I really hope you enjoy this chapter :) Please review with your thoughts/opinions/general advice on the chapter :) What you don't like, what you do like... the general :) **

**Hope you enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Alteration<strong>

_08 November 2012  
>-13:44apm (Quantico, Virginia) 12:44pm (Carlington Falls, Wisconsin)-<em>

"It looks like everything is normal outside, so do you think you are ready for us to take a look inside?" Doctor Clyde asked, a gracious expression on his aged, wrinkled face. He was a white-haired old man, around sixty-nine, and a thankful relief from Mary's excessive exuberance. He was kind, and gentle, but not overtly happy. His eyes, a twinkling blue, were that of someone who had seen too much over the years and was wizened to the dangers of being so open and he walked with a cane, a limp in his left leg.

Emily bit her lip, suddenly feeling nervous. What if there _was _something wrong? Would she be able to handle that? A dark voice in the back of her mind told her that it was too late for such worries, that she had already gotten herself into this situation and there was no going back now. How much could she go back? She was sitting on a puffy pink chair, in a hospital gown with a blanket covering her legs. Going back to before she was pregnant seemed almost impossible now.

Clyde seemed to take her silence as an 'okay' to go ahead, and reached for the cool gel to apply to her stomach, asking her to lie back calmly. Emily tilted backwards, and grabbed for the arms of the weird chair. She felt like she was falling if she went back. It was absurd, but she felt so off-balance with the odd weight distribution on her body, that she felt more nauseas going to lie down than she did when she was actually lying down.

As if sensing her apprehension, Hotch placed his left hand on her lower back and right hand on her shoulder, pushing her back cautiously so she wouldn't start to panic. He had become concerned when her skin had started to meld into that sickly grey colour it adopted often lately and moved from the spot where he had been standing next the door, trying to maintain some semblance of professionalism.

She looked up at him, her lips curving into a thankful smile before she shivered as Clyde applied the gel to her stomach. Hotch went to step away from her, and give her room to breath, but she grabbed his hand, holding onto it tightly. "Just stay close to me, alright?" she whispered, needing him to be near her. Hotch gazed at her, his emotions conflicting before he submitted and held onto her hand, bending so he was closer to her and pulling a nearby stool to sit on.

Emily beamed at him, and pressed a soft kiss to his temple, before a rapid thudding caused her to look over at Clyde with wide eyes. It thrummed around them, fast and loud, like a beating drum and Emily swallowed, her lip trembling as she listened to her baby's heartbeat. Clyde looked at the couple, a knowing look in his eyes as he moved the probe over her rounded bump.

"Ah, and there is the other baby's heartbeat," he informed them as another beat came into competition with the first, thrumming at the same pace but in a different rhythm. Emily nearly broke Hotch's hand, her eyes bugging and jaw dropping, while Hotch winced sharply at the sudden tightening of her grip. Seemingly unaware of their surprise, Clyde turned the moniter of his machine so the couple could see it.

Using his thumb, he showed the curve of the first baby's back, moving the probe over Emily's bump artfully to display the image. "This is baby number one. As you can see, they are partially covering the other, shadowing the other baby from our," Clyde explained. Hotch's mind whirled as he blocked out Clyde's voice, his eyes trained on the images of his babies on the screen, shifting in small movements.

They were his babies... His tiny babies... Hotch's façade of stoic, brooding professionalism slipped and he grinned widely as he looked at them. They were his children. He was going to be a dad, again. He was ready to protect them from anything that could ever harm them. He would wrap them up in cotton wool if he had to, because they were never going to suffer any pain, not if he had anything to say about it.

Emily sniffed, her eyes tearing up as she looked at her babies on the screen. Cursing her stupid hormones she wiped them away quickly, a bubble of emotion stopping her from speaking. She was going to be a mommy... to twins... Her dark eyes widened, the hand that wasn't holding onto Hotch's for dear life going to her mouth to cover it.

Twins... how on earth was she going to be able to handle twins? Two babies... that was twice the amount of diaper, twice the amount of baby furniture she needed to buy... Twice the amount of trouble she would have to handle. She could barely look after her cat, how was she going to cope with looking after two babies who were completely dependant on her for everything?

A horrifying thought crossed her mind. She was going to drop them... she just knew it. She was going to drop her babies... Emily felt a reassuring squeeze on her hand and turned to face Hotch, her hand dropping to her side. The fear that had been building in her dwindled at the sight of the excitement sparking in his eyes, the large grin that was covering his face. Emily relaxed at the smile. She had never seen his smile that much, or that widely when other people were present.

"Those are our babies," she whispered, as if the realisation was only just dawning on her. Little Hotchner's... brothers or sisters for Jack. Hotch bobbed his head, slightly amazed as he stared at the screen, and Emily gave him a tender look, slipping her hand out of his and cupping his cheek. He turned to her and she leaned forward, caressing his lips softly with her own, the Doctor having stopped his movements with the probe to print the images into photos for them to keep.

"What are we going to do? Twins? Do you think we can handle that?" she asked gently, her forehead pressed against his. Hotch brushed her lips with a soft peck, assuring her that they could. Emily scowled though, her mind thinking ahead over the next few months, everything that she was going to have to sort out. Her apartment was too small for twins. "I'm going to need a bigger apartment... I can start looking for one when we get back to Quantico..."

Hotch paused, sitting up straight as he looked at her. The grin was now gone from his face, a controlled expression returning to his face as he deliberated the situation. "I want to be able to have access to my children, to see them when I want," he rumbled, and Emily furrowed her eyebrows, responding 'there was no question of it' apprehensively. There was a slight edge in her tone, and Hotch grit his jaw. "I already nearly lost my son, Emily, I'm not ready to spend time away from our babies as well this."

"What are you suggesting, Aaron? That I live with you? Your apartment only has two bedrooms, there is barely any room for me when I spend the night, let alone two babies," she admonished, tone sharp, as Clyde looked at the couple, handing Emily a wipe for the goo on her belly. She accepted it gratefully before returning to her conversation with Hotch, wiping her stomach clean.

"Where would we put them, Aaron? There just isn't any space for them. I need to get a bigger place to live... a house, maybe. I don't want you to be unable to see the twins, Aaron, but there is no way we can live in your apartment," Emily told him, her head tilting to the side as she reached for her shirt. Hotch lifted it for her, handing it to Emily with a dark look.

"We could buy a house," he stated and Emily snorted in surprise, looking at him. She quickly calmed when she saw he was deadly serious, not even flinching at her expression. Hotch crossed his arms, brow heavy over his eyes as he gazed at her, completely sober. Emily swallowed heavily, licking her lips as she did up her shirt, her lower half still covered by her blanket. "Emily, it makes sense. We won't have to buy two sets of everything, and I will be able to have constant contact with my children."

"What about our relationship? Aaron, we've only been together for ten weeks, do you not think it's a little early for us to be shacking up in a house together?" Emily questioned, beginning to feel exasperated. He was refusing to budge on this, his determination pushing him to stay with the solution he had come up with. Emily groaned, running her hand though her hair and shaking her head. "Aaron, moving in together is a big step... and we would be doing it for all the wrong reasons. It's too much pressure to move in with someone because you are a having a baby with them."

Hotch exhaled heavily, and leaned forward, taking her hand in his and kissing the back of it gently, his lips barely brushing the smooth, creamy skin. Emily rose her eyebrows, her lips turning up into a small smirk before readopting her poker-face.

"Emily, I am not suggesting we do this because we are having two babies together. I am suggesting it because we are good together. I would trust you with my life, with my son, and you are going to be the mother of my children. Living together would be a natural progression for us. You already spend five nights a week at my apartment, we practically live together already," Hotch explained and Emily flushed. She did spend a lot of time at Hotch's apartment, with him and Jack.

"That... is an extremely out of character thing for you to say, Aaron Hotchner," Emily murmured, and he chuckled slightly. He stood and leaned over, pressing his lips to her forehead and then reaching for her trousers. Accepting them gratefully, she grabbed his tie before he could move away and pulled his lips to hers, the sudden need to just have him overpowering her. Her blood started to pulse as she moved her lips against his, their noses brushing each others softly.

He pushed back, his fingers intertwining with her hair, pressing her into the pink chair under her. She moaned deeply, her body tingling and mover her finger around his neck, sliding them down the back of his shirt and grazing the skin with her fingernails. A cough caused them both to look over at Doctor Clyde. Emily flushed red, her cheeks burning as Hotch straightened rapidly, his expression returning to the unemotional, warning one that he usually held, lips pursed and eyes shadowed.

"I apologise, Doctor," he stated coolly, and Clyde just bobbed his head, completely understanding. He himself had four children, and he knew exactly how demanding a woman's hormones could be when they fluctuated. He held up the envelope with their ultrasound images, and Hotch's eyes flicked to Emily, before he crossed the room to the Doctor as Emily pulled her trousers on, scowling when she couldn't find her elastic band to hold them shut.

"These are for yours and you lady's pleasure, Agent Hotchner. I have found that ultrasounds have certain calming affect when dealing with emotional fluctuations in pregnant women, trust me," Clyde whispered, leaning heavily on his cane as he held out the envelope to Hotch. The man's lips were curved into a half smile and Hotch hummed as he accepted the envelope. "Take care of her, son. She's a lovely woman, and she is going to need you there for her every step of the way in this pregnancy. Twins are no easy feat."

"I planned on ensuring her safety, Doctor. I just have to convince her that she needs to be looked after, so she will let me take care of her," Hotch grumbled and Clyde laughed loudly, blue eyes sparkling with humour as he concurred. Hotch looked over at Emily, a conflicted expression on his face, and Clyde put a hand on his shoulder, padding it supportively.

"Stubborn women, trust me Agent, I understand. My wife was just the same. They never admit they need you, but they always do," Clyde imparted, before he looked at his watch and excused himself. Emily cursed, getting Hotch's attention as she glared down at the rubber band on the linoleum flooring under their feet. He furrowed his eyebrows as she went to bend down to get it.

She wasn't away to admit she needed him, Hotch agreed, but he was going to be there whether she liked it or not.

_-15:13pm (Quantico, Virginia) 14:13pm (Carlington Falls, Wisconsin)-_

Garcia buzzed around her office, rapidly consuming her fifth cup of coffee as she looked at each one of her screens, humming continuously to herself. On one screen she was running scans and background checks on all the residents of Carlington Falls, while she shopped for baby toys and clothes on another, and monitored the weather reports for the upcoming week in Carlington Falls.

Her blond hair was in an array of curls, and she wore a bardot blue, grey, pink and white striped pleated dress, under a bright blue cardigan. Around her neck hung a statement pearl bead necklace, and on her cardigan were pinned several silver and pearl broaches. Her feet were encased in peep toe grey heels with a bow on the toe.

The blond haired woman pouted slightly. It really felt like she was the only woman on their team without a baby now. JJ had Henry, and now Emily had her little bundle of joy... albeit it wasn't born yet, but Emily was still pregnant so it counted. Garcia had... well Garcia had her delightfully adorable lover Kevin and the deliciously handsome Agent Derek Morgan, but she didn't have a baby.

She knew she was just feeling broody because she was surrounded by cute, round-faced little angels, none of which were hers, but she couldn't help but feel that need to have an darling little dear with big beautiful eyes and blond tresses that counted on her for its every whim and want. She paused. Okay, maybe not so much the total dependency. She'd probably spoil it rotten with toys and presents, and Kevin would have to be the disciplinary parent because there was no way she would be able to do it.

She was just too good-natured to do so.

Garcia was distracted from her thoughts by her phone ringing, and she eagerly pressed accept, bringing up a web chat for the team, her eyes bugging slightly behind her glasses as she finished her cup of coffee. She set it down, grinning into her webcam.

"Hello, my wonderfully lovely babies. How be you in the land of ice and snow while I sit in the land of all that is warm and holy?" she asked happily, her fingers thrumming against the top of the desk. Morgan grinned at her, as she waved at him eagerly, before raising an eyebrow and asking how much coffee she had been drinking. "Oh not much, just five cups, now tell me what it is your deliciously encased heart desires from the most fairest maiden of the BAU."

"I think it's time you stop with the coffee, baby girl, you know how that much coffee makes you," Morgan warned and Garcia waved a hand, responding 'oh hush, Mon Amour'. Morgan shook his head in amusement, giving her a tender smile that he reserved only for her. "Have you fond out anything about the town, Garcia?"

Garcia exhaled heavily, and shook her head. "Unfortunately, my hunk of chocolate love, the residents of this town are cleaner than clean. They are a pure as un driven snow, so to speak. No one has a questionable hospital bill, illegal transgressions in which they partake behind their lovers backs or a history of psycho bad-guy problems. The biggest problem they had was an overhaul of cannabis during the summer, a rather questionable pregnancy after the untimely death of Mrs Wilson's husband and a wolf attack on a boy in Autumn."

"So we have no leads as to his this UnSub is," Morgan rumbled, scrubbing a hand over his shaved head, his expression dark. Garcia pouted, sending her love through the webcam, as she confirmed his statement. "Damn... well, thanks sweetheart for running the check anyway. Couldn't be here without your gorgeous face keeping me in check," he jested and Garcia smirked, raising her eyebrows and giggling playfully.

"Oh, your soothing words make me shiver, Derek Morgan, you know I'm saving all my love for your anatomically perfect body... hurry back, my sweet," Garcia cooed and he chuckled, away to hang up when she remembered the appointment that JJ had informed her about earlier for the little Hotchner baby. "Wait, have we news about Emily and Hotch's little bundle of joy? Is my future niece or nephew healthy and well?"

Morgan laughed and shook his head. "Penelope, it's even better than healthy and well, both babies are in good condition, angel," he informed her, and she gasped in delight, covering her blue lip-stick painted mouth with both hands, her brown eyes shining happily. Morgan smirked, sipping his coffee as he took in her reaction. "Mom and Dad are having little twin babies, doll-face."

"Oh, that means twice the adorable set of dimples and brown eyes to gush over! I can buy two of everything now! Oh they won't want for anything, for Auntie Garcia will buy them whatever those beautiful baby Hotchners ask for," Garcia rambled, a powerful edge to her voice as she looked away from the camera, envisioning the twins and how absolutely darling and angelic they would be. She quickly looked back at Morgan, her eyes wide behind her sparkly, horn-rimmed glasses. "Tell me there is a picture, sweetheart."

"JJ has already sent it to your phone, baby girl, now I have to go, oh goddess of all that is beautiful and holy," he told her, and she tilted her head, smiling gracefully before blowing him a kiss and telling him to stay safe. "Always do, sweetheart," he told her, and the image of him disappeared from her screen as he hung up the call. Garcia sighed heavily, and then looked at her phone, beaming as she saw the message from JJ.

Opening it, she cried softly when she saw the ultrasound images, her face lighting up even more than it usually did. She beamed as she scrolled down, before she attached her phone to the computer and copied the picture files, sending them to her printer so she would be able to have hard copies to place around her computer, along with JJ's ultrasounds of Henry and pictures, and Reid's little girls and his son and Jack Hotchner.

She tacked them up around her maps and stuck them around the frames of her larger monitors screens, so that when she had a particularly horrifying case to research or look at, she always had something reminding her that there was still innocence in the world, still something pure and was part of her way of coping when it came to this job. Garcia stood and moved over to her wall map, pinning a freshly printed ultrasound to the edge when Kevin slipped into her office.

The blond turned and jumped startled as she looked at the other technical wizard in surprise. She put her hand over her heart, trying to calm her erratic breathing as he looked concerned and apologetic. "You scared me, Kevin. I thought we talked about you sneaking up on me like that," Garcia chastised, and he looked suitably embarrassed as she sidled towards her and kissed her playfully. She scrunched up her nose and then kissed him back with a grin. "You are lucky you are cute, Kevin Lynch."

"I'm lucky to love someone like you, Penelope Garcia," he countered and she giggled, putting her arms around his neck and kissing him again. He smiled at her, and brushed his nose against her. "I love you, Penelope," he told her again, and she beamed, har face lighting up.

"I love you too, Kevin," she responded, causing the man to flush and beam at her, the tips of his ears turning pink. Garcia laughed daintily, a voice like bells, when a sudden alert caused them both to yell in shock. "What is that?" Kevin asked over the repeated wail of a siren coming from Garcia's computer. His eyes were wide, as he looked at he screens, trying to see where it was coming from. "Are you being hacked?"

"No..." Garcia mumbled, whizzing over to her computer. Her fingers glided over her keys, tapping continuously as she stared at her screen. Kevin sighed heavily, in relief when the alarm stopped and Garcia froze, her eyes widening in shock. Kevin came up behind her, worried and put his hand on her shoulder.

"What is it?" he asked, confused as he read the letters in the notice that had appeared on the screen, and map of central Washington D.C with a point in red appearing on it. Garcia's jaw dropped, her eyes tearing slightly as she looked at it. "What is a Gideon Alert? Is he an UnSub you are tracking?"

"I... five years ago, Jason Gideon left the BAU. He left with no warning, and I was worried about him but I didn't want to intrude on his privacy so I set up an alert that if his credit card or debit card was used in the D.C, Virginia or Maryland area, an alarm would go off so I would know where he was. That's the first time it's ever gone off, Kevin," she told him, her voice hopeful as she turned to face him. Kevin's eyebrows were furrowed and he looked apprehensive.

"Kevin, do you know what this means?" she breathed, her eyes shining and Kevin shook his head, nose scrunching up. Garcia looked back at her screen, her lips splitting into a wide-opened mouth smile. "This means that Gideon is home. This means that he's back."

_-21:27pm (Quantico, Virginia) 20:27pm (Carlington Falls, Wisconsin)-_

"Well, I know the food ain't too great, but I'm sure y'all will enjoy it anyway, nothing like a good old fashioned pie, right?" Mary chirped, and Morgan hummed the affirmative, as he dug into his steak and kidney pie with eagerness. He was starving. Mary chuckled and shook her head, before looking at her watch. "Well, look at the time, I gotta get home to feed those children of mine. Bower will take you to your lodgings once y'all have finished eating."

"Gee thanks, Auntie, now I'm going to have to tell Cheryl that I'll be late. Could have given me some warning before you went and decided this," Bower whined, jestingly. Mary rolled her eyes and slapped him up the back of the head, causing him to yell out in surprise and hold his head as she laughed at him. Morgan rose an eyebrow, looking over at Reid who was incredibly uncomfortably, shifting in his seat between JJ and Emily.

JJ kept leaning over him to talk to Emily and coo over her bump, and Emily kept whispering to Hotch in a quiet argument. Reid looked over at Mary and Bower. "Does that mean we have to go outside again?" he asked, a frown on his lips as he thought of the cold weather outside of the Police department.

The snow had briefly stopped, the clouds passing overhead still breathing warnings of more to come. The area was covered in a thick white blanket of snow, around a foot deep. It had already ruined their past crime scenes, and there were no tread marks in it to signify people moving around the town other than from the police department to the local bakery on the corner of the main street. All the shops and main locations in Carlington Falls were located on the half mile long stretch of road, other than the library and the church.

"Unfortunately, yes. Ol' Missy's Inn is up by the river, the last house on the left. Get's the best view of the town and the river, but it's a real bugger to get to," Bower complained, as Mary left, putting on a thick wool-lined jacket with a heavy hood and a scarf on. She waved goodbye, with glove covered hands before she disappeared through doors of the precinct to trudge home in the snow.

"Is it the only place in town to stay? The weather doesn't seem exactly safe to drive there," Hotch questioned and Bower chuckled, concurring with his statement. Rossi looked up from where he ate his slice of pie next to Hotch, an eyebrow raised and lips turning down into a frown as he realised just where the conversation was going. They could't take the cars, which meant that they...

"We'll have to walk up to Ol' Missy's. It's only a fifteen minute walk, and the curfew hasn't hit yet, so we'll be able to get there before it does. Wouldn't ant to be out there at night, not with this psycho still on the loose. My bet is he'll attack anyone he sees," Bower mused, and Emily's hand went to her bump protectively, a dark look marring her soft features. Bower gave her a sympathetic smile before continuing. "I think it best if you make any call's you been meaning to now, 'cause this is the only street in town that actually has any cell reception."

Reid looked down-heartened at the news, and he stood slowly, pulling his phone out of his pocket and excused himself to call his family. Morgan shook his head, with a small, soft smile before he pushed his empty plate away from him, full. Emily pouted slightly when she saw that he had ate all of his pie, and her eyes slid to Hotch's late, which was still half-full. Looking at her partner, she saw he was distracted by a conversation with Rossi, and grinned to herself mischievously.

He took the edge of his plate and pulled it in front of her, moving her own empty plate in front of Hotch and sheepishly avoiding Morgan's amused eyes as she did so. Rossi cocked an eyebrow, and bobbed his head to Hotch. "You just lost your dinner, Aaron," he muttered, a humorous edge to his voice and Hotch looked quickly at his plate, than at Emily who was eating his potatoes, her face blissful.

Chuckling, Hotch put his arm around her waist, causing Emily to lean into him slightly as she ate his food. Rossi caught JJ's eye and she laughed, rolling her eyes at him while Rossi grinned crookedly. "Okay, the UnSub, do you think he will kill again?" Rossi asked, turning serious as he looked around the team. Morgan shrugged, leaning bakc in his chair and sighing heavily.

"If he's in that deep a psychotic break, he might... but we have no idea when or where he will kill until he actually does," Morgan declared, and Emily paused in her eating, frowning as she gulped down the mouthful of pie she had. The idea of another victim turned her off the food, images of the previous victims flashing through her mind as she pushed away the plate of food, skin paling slightly.

"Well, if he's in the woods, he's gonna have plenty to choose from," Bower declared and Hotch furrowed his brow over his eyes, while Rossi asked 'How do you figure?'. Bower gestured to the map of the area. "Every kid in this area treats the woods like they are a game. The idea that they are even more dangerous? It's gonna attract them like flies. There is nothing for them to do in this town, so they get their thrills how they can. That means they go into the woods, at night."

"Why put themselves in that kind of danger? Surely the idea of being torn to pieces would stop them from into the woods," JJ questioned, a disbelieving expression on her face. The kids in the town couldn't be that bored, honestly. Bower scoffed dryly, giving her a shadowed look.

"You underestimate the effects of teenage hormones and the need for a cheap thrill, JJ," Rossi warned, his voice gruff as he took a drink of his decaf coffee. JJ hummed sadly to herself, her lips pursing as she thought of the dangers that the kids were putting themselves into. "They want the thrill of fear. Even the curfew won't stop them from going into the woods to 'play the game'."

"Speaking of the curfew, we best get off now, otherwise it'll be too late to leave. Trust me when I say you don't want to spend the night in the station. No where in this place is comfortable to sleep," Bower interrupted, as Reid approached the team.

He had a calmer expression on his face, but there was still some edginess evident in his behaviour, his eyebrows heavy over his dark brown eyes, lips pursed slightly. He reached up and loosened his black tie, wearing a beige shirt with a grey waistcoat, both of which he wore under a thick woollen brown cardigan with blue and grey stripes and black straight leg trousers. On his feet he had brown boots, over thick mismatched socks.

"Are we going now? I'm tired," he muttered, piling his rubbish onto the plastic plate and then dropping them into the bin. Morgan followed his movements, dumping his rubbish in the trash and then putting his arm over Reid's shoulder, patting him on it worriedly. The man was like his little brother, and he would do anything to make sure he was alright. Reid was distracted, that much he knew, and it was concerning for Morgan.

"You okay, kid?" he asked, and Reid looked at him, nodding curtly and then picking up his satchel with edgy movements. "You sure, cause your behaviour is saying that there is something up. You know you can tell me anything, right kid?" Morgan pushed and Reid nodded, chuckling dryly causign Morgan to raise an eyebrow. "What?"

"It's just funny that you call me kid, when I'm the one with a wife and children, and your not," Reid shrugged, and Morgan whistled, muttering 'nice blow there, Reid'. Reid smiled tightly before looking over at Emily and Hotch. "Do you think Emily is going to leave the team when she's given birth?"

Morgan picked up his jacket, pulling it on and then doing it up, thinking over Reid's question as he looked at Hotch and Emily. Hotch was helping Emily get her jacket on, mentioning that she would need to buy maternity wear soon and prompting a glare from her, although not as strong as earlier when she had been in an incredibly irritated mood. "I don't think so... she wouldn't leave us like that."

"She might if she has children," Reid stated, looking at Morgan and his lips turned down into a frown. Emily wouldn't leave them... would she?

The Inn was simple and rustic, a log cabin hidden amongst the trees looking out onto the river below. Almost immediately inside, it opened into a comfortable, large open area, with large cushioned couches and a roaring fireplace. It had a homely feel to it, welcoming and calm and the owner, Missy, was welcoming despite the sad occurrences that bought the team to the town.

"Unfortunately, we only have three rooms free. The families of both Miss Rachel and Miss Lisa decided to avoid returning to their homes today, and so have taken up the other three rooms. I regret having to put you into the same rooms with one another, but we do not have the room for you to not do so," the soft-mannered lady informed them. The six team members looked at each other and Morgan groaned.

"Aww man, I'm going to have to bunk with Reid, aren't I? That sucks, man," Morgan complained, and Reid pouted, looking offended as he asked what was wrong with sharing a room with him petulantly. Morgan rolled his eyes, shooting a glare at Reid who glared back, huffily. "Dude, when you are really tired, you sleep with your eyes open. It's freaky as hell and I can't sleep when you do that."

Hotch grit his teeth, too tired for this argument. From his interrupted sleep the previous night, and then finding out he fathered twins, to trying to convince Emily to buy a house with him, he was completely drained. "Okay, Reid and I will share, JJ and Emily will share and Morgan and Rossi will share. I do not want anymore arguments about this, am I understood. Unless you plan on staying and having a drink at the bar, I suggest that you each get settled in your rooms."

"Yes boss," Morgan grumbled, lifting his duffel bag and taking a key that Missy held out to him. He looked at the room number, and then at Rossi. "Room's number 4. I'll take your bag up for you, since I'm guessing you'll be staying down here to get a drink," he stated and Rossi nodded, handing him the case that held his clothes and Morgan lifted it easily, moving away from the team and up the stairs to his room. Hotch accepted the other two keys from Missy, who then went to the bar and pulled out the old scotch.

Rossi followed her, the urge to have a stiff drink filling him as he slumped down on a leather stool. Hotch turned to JJ and Emily, giving them their room key. "Get some sleep, Emily. I need you in your best possible physical condition for tomorrow," he told her. Emily gave him a gracious look, and pressed her lips to Hotch's cheek, saying goodnight. He smiled and kised he forehead softly, before holding onto her arm. "Think about what I said, okay? It makes sense."

"Goodnight, Aaron," Emily just said pointedly, and JJ took her back, walking behind her as the two women headed up to their room, to watch some television and just relax for a bit before they went to sleep. Hotch faced Reid, who was staring at the flames flickering in the fireplace with a lost expression, chin resting on his clasped hands silently. Hotch put a hand on his shoulder, and Reid jumped, hreathign heavily in surprise.

"Where's your head at, Reid?" Hotch asked and the wide-eyed man swallowed, responding 'nowhere' quickly. Hotch frowned, and Reid swallowed a lump in his throat, taking the key dangling from Hotch's finger and quickly distancing himself, slightly erratic in his movements. Hotch's brow fell heavy over his eyes as the man said 'goodnight' and then rushed away, looking at the key, his feet moving almost to fast for his body and causing him to stumble up the stairs. Shaking his head, Hotch joined Rossi at the bar, slumping into the seat tiredly.

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen the kid look as like you as he did just then," Rossi pointed out, taking a swig of his scotch. The liquid left a burning trail down his throat, yet he didn't wince, used to it, enjoying it. Hotch turned to his old friend, expression grim as Rossi exhaled heavily.

"Seven years ago, his biggest worry was visiting his mother... now, I don't think there a day he doesn't spend panicking over everything," Hotch confided in Rossi, and the older man hummed deeply, taking another drink and savouring it. Hotch scowled as he looked over at the fireplace, accepting the scotch that Missy poured for him gratefully. Rossi shook his head.

"He has a lot more responsibility than he did then... and I'm pretty sure it's just hitting him that Chris isn't going to be coming back to the BAU any time soon. He's probably thinking that his marriage is going to go some-ways short of south now that she's not in the BAU... like all three of mine, and yours with Haley," Rossi mused, and Hotch's grip tightened on his glass, expression becoming even more concerned.

"His marriage is different to ours were... she actually worked with us for three years. Chris knows the job, she isn't going to leave him," Hotch insisted, tone strong and persistant, and Rossi concurred.

"Yes, we know that, but does Reid?" he proposed and Hotch paused, a deep frown marring his features. He finished the rest of his scotch setting his glass down and shrugged. Rossi decided to change the subject, swirling the last dregs of scotch in his glass around. "Something is bugging me about this case... If our UnSub is in a psychotic break, why hasn't he already killed again?"

"He could have. Bower said that kids go into the woods all the time. If the UnSub is in the woods he would have an endless supply of victims and no one would be trying to find them because its not unusual for them to disappear for hours on ends into the woods around," Hotch countered, as Missy topped up their glasses, moving slowly with old age. She smiled faintly at them both, before going to the back rooms of the log cabin to rest. Rossi exhaled heavily.

"And we wouldn't be able to find them because the scenes are ruined by the snow and we have no way of knowing our way around those woods... I really do not like this case, Aaron," Rossi grumbled and Hotch agreed, looking into his glass and swishing the amber liquid. Rossi eyed him out the corner of his eye. "So... twins, huh? That's a pretty big deal for you and Emily."

"Yeah... tell me about it. Emily is refusing to buy a house with me so we can share the responsibility and look after them both together. I don't understand why she is being so stubborn, it's only logical for us to take that step," Hotch growled and Rossi rose his eyebrow, shaking his head and chuckling at Hotch's obliviousness.

"Aaron, Emily is pregnant, and used to only watching out for herself. She is trying to protect herself from getting hurt. She's not thinking logically, she is thinking about in the long run if it does not work out and she is going to be looking after twins on her own," Rossi lectured and Hotch exhaled heavily, ready to protest that he wouldn't ever do that to Emily, when Rossi held up a hand.

"I understand that you wouldn't do that to Emily, Hotch, but she doesn't. Emily has been let down by people she loves her entire life, Aaron, just look at her relationship with her parents. Emily loves you, Aaron, she just won't say it," he assured the man, and Hotch scowled, asking 'why' frustratedly. "For the same reason you won't. You're scared of gettign hurt, just like her. Haley left you, and now you think Emily will too."

Hotch was silent for a moment, mulling over Rossi's words in his mind, trying to process it all in one go. "I don't compare her to Haley, Dave. Ever. What we have is completely different to what Haley and I had. I loved Haley, I did, but I can't live without Emily... I wouldn't know how to. She is... everything for me. I need her... I love her," Hotch concluded, eyes widening slightly, and Rossi placed his hand on Hotch's shoulder, expression deadly serious.

"Then you need to tell her that, Aaron, because I will bet you any money that she doesn't know," Rossi informed him, tone smooth and he finished his drink, and set the glass on the bar. "I'll leave you to think about it. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Hotch mumbled, slightly in shock from the realisation that he did love Emily. He took a long stiff drink of his scotch, eyes wide.

Now he just had to tell her...

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed :) Thank you for reading the chapter, please remember to review! <strong>

**Thank you and goodnight :)**


	20. 09 November 2012 Morning, Afternoon

**A/N: This is a Hotch/Emily story.**

**Another big chapter, I know :) And the weirdness... and angstynes... continues :) Or at least, as angst as I can write. I'm a very happy person myself ;) Congrats to everyone who guessed Gideon ;) But of course, for ll we know he may not be the only one to come back.. but oh well, you never know, do you? O.o Hope you like the chapter anyway :) General thoughts and opinions wanted please :0 Let's get to ninety-five ;) I totally think we can do this!**

**Also, am I the only one who can't believe this is the twentieth chapter already? By now, I was supposed to have finished the story lol :) Oh well... guess this means I can re-watch Criminal minds for the fourth time then :) **

**Hope you like the chapter! Please review!**

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><p><strong>Alteration<strong>

_09 November 2012  
>-09:36am (Quantico, Virginia) 08:36am (Carlington Falls, Wisconsin)-<em>

Garcia walked through the BAU office, heading straight for her office. She held a blended mocha frappuccino with extra cream from Starbucks in one hand and a white box of buttermilk pancakes in the other, her bag over her shoulder as she bounced into her office. Garcia was not away to spend any more time then necessary away from her computers when her babies where in a town covered with snow and ice and had limited cell reception.

She sat down on her chair, setting her breakfast down next to her keyboard, logging into her computer. The screens fired up to life, and immediately she launched into her search engines. Her fingers frantically typed, her eyes never leaving the screen behind her glasses as she hacked into the CCTV cameras at the service station Gideon's card had been used at.

He had to know she would be tracking him, he just had to. She always tracked her team, making sure her babies were safe. Gideon really couldn't believe she wouldn't be tracking him, at least not when he was in D.C.

He would have had to done it on purpose. That was the only thing. Gideon had been covering himself from her tracking for so long that this had to be on purpose. Garcia froze, her smile widening as she looked at the video caption of Jason Gideon, handing over his card to pay for his gas. He was looking up at the camera, a small smile on his face that showed he knew that she was watching.

"Oh, Jason Gideon you are a sly hunk of love... I got you," Garcia mumbled to herself, pressing several keys on the keyboard as she delved into his spending for the last few weeks to get some clue of his location. Her blond hair was crimped and curled, and she wore a nude sequin blazer that shimmered in the light from her screens, over a ruffle satin blouse and a lilac daisy patterned skirt. Her grey wedge peep-toe shoe tapped incessantly against the floor.

Garcia's grin turned slightly menacing as she pinpointed his exact location, an apartment he was renting in the Cambridge Apartments on Massachusetts Avenue. She clapped her hands, cheering happily and spinning round on her chair triumphantly. "Oh, I am just that awesome, yes I am! I caught you, Jason Gideon," she declared, taking off her head set and reaching for her bag, ready to confront him.

She stopped though, when she remembered that she was working a case with the team. Who were all in Carlington Falls. She couldn't tell them Gideon was back, nor could she leave her office in case they needed something from her. If she told them, it would distract them... it could even pull her poor Reid apart, after all those feelings of abandonment he had felt when Gideon had left originally. If Gideon left again, it would really hurt Reid, and Garcia couldn't let that happen.

But she also just couldn't let him disappear again. He had done all this so she would find him, and she had to go to him before he moved on and left Washington D.C again. She bit her lip, looking at her screens, at the image of Gideon and then at the door to her office, indecision evident in her expression. Biting her lip, she turned back to her screens, thinking hard about what to do, before her eyes widened.

Garcia quickly punched in a number to her key pad, returning her head set to it position over her ear and waited for the answer on the other end. Her fingers drummed impatiently against the surface of her desk, eyes narrowed slightly.

"Who is mommy's beautiful little boy? You are, Jimmy-Jammy, yes, you are," Chris cooed, playfully bopping the one year old boy's nose as she bathed him, the bath filled with warm water and bubbles. James grinned at her, and copied her movement, bobbing her nose and saying 'Mamma' happily. Anna had already been dropped off at school, and Eva was at Nursery school until lunchtime. The sound of ringing caused Chris to stand up straight, her eyebrows furrowing.

It was persistent, and Chris grabbed a towel from beside the bath, pulling out the plug in the bathtub and wrapping the towel around James, who giggled. His golden hair was spiked and he was covered in bubbles as she lifted him out the tub, rushing carrying him from the bathroom and down the stairs quickly to get the phone before they hung loose bun bounced, and she was dressed in full 'mommy' mode.

She had on a loose white tunic, it's sleeves rolled up and top buttons undone, over light blue denim skinny jeans and bare feet. Her face was free of make-up, and didn't wear any jewellery other than her wedding ring. Lifting the house-phone, she balanced it between her chin and her cheek, bouncing James as he reached for her hair. "Reid residence, what can I do for you?"

"It's Garcia, sweetheart, I need you to do something for me," Garcia stated, and Chris exhaled heavily, before asking 'what?' cautiously. Garcia grinned and bought up the address for Gideon's apartment.

"Okay, sugar, I need you to go to apartment 56 on Massachusetts Avenue in the Cambridge Apartments, alright?" Garcia asked, and Chris rose her eyebrows, setting James down on the ground as Puppy and Paws sniffed around her legs.

James giggled and reached for Puppy's ears, the dog bowing her head to sniff him. Once he had a hold of Puppy's ears, James pulled himself up onto his feet, a look of intense concentration on his round face. Chris watched him out the corner of her eyes, talking to Garcia at the same time. "Right now? Can it wait, Garcia? I have a naked toddler wo I am pretty sure is away to go on the run."

"Sorry, sweetie, but this is important. I would totally go, but the team are away and I need to be here in case they call," Garcia apologised and Chris watched as James ran down the hallway, completely naked into the kitchen. She strode after him, ready to make sure he didn't get hurt, Paws bounding out of the house and into the garden, barking loudly. Garcia spoke up again, her brown eyes softening. "Chris... it's Gideon. He's back, and we need to get to him before he leaves again."

"Gideon? The Jason Gideon? As in... one of the best profilers of the history of the BAU? The one who left and made my husband miserable for weeks?" Chris asked rapidly, tensing as she paused in her stride and put her hand on the tray of James' high chair. Garcia hummed the affirmative, and Chris watched as James held onto Puppy's neck, giggling happily as the dog lifted his feet from the kitchen's flooring.

"Alright, I'll go... but if this is some sort of trap, and I end up kidnapped and murdered brutally, I will come after you, you hear me Garcia?" Chris warned, jokingly and Garcia tutted, a smirk on her lips as she chuckled happily. Chris closed the back door before Puppy could disappear out of it with James around her neck, wondering why it was even open to begin with as she watched Paws bounding around with a grin.

"Oh, loud and clear, sweetie. Now go catch that gorgeous naked son of yours," Garcia stated before she hung up, letting Chris go back to her baby boy. The blond looked at her screen, gleefully, before it slowly started to fall, her lips setting into a grim line. What did it mean for Gideon to come back? Why would he come back without an ulterior motive or reason?

It had been five years since they had last seen him, since he had even contacted anyone in the team. It didn't make sense for him to suddenly come back now, not unless there was something very wrong... Garcia bit her lip, her eyebrows furrowing over her eyes as she squeezed one of the squidgy, glowing balls on her desk, exhaling heavily. She looked around her desk, at the various pictures of her family, her babies and was unable to stop the thoughts swirling around her mine as she did so.

They were all so fragile... so easily broken... Gideon coming back could do her team more harm then good if they knew he was back, if they saw him. They had moved on and been through so much since then. What if Gideon just ripped that all apart, unwillingly?

_-10:54am (Quantico, Virginia) 09:54am (Carlington Falls, Wisconsin)-_

Morgan and Rossi followed Bower, the man silent as he led them to the latest crime scene. They were wrapped up tightly, warmly, as a way to block out the chilling morning breeze in the air hanging around them. They had thought it couldn't get any colder, but they had been quickly proved wrong once they left the Inn early in the morning. The snow had eased up around five in the morning, another three inches piling onto the foot of snow already set over the ground.

Hotch had very nearly refused to let Emily leave the station when he saw how difficult it was to trek through the snow, when Bower had informed them that they were allowed to work out the Inn because of how deep the snow was. That was only after he had informed them that the most recent victim to the UnSub was the Chief Detective Mary Winchester as she did a nightly patrol of the woods to make sure that no kids in her area were going into the woods.

Bower, while visibly shaken by this, had been stiff and tense, all pretence of humour from the day before gone and replaced by a fiery anger that pushed him even more to catch the bastard that had torn his aunt to pieces. Morgan looked at Rossi, eyebrow raised as he wondered if maybe Bower was a little too close to the case to continue on it. Rossi had countered that in a town like Carlington Falls, everyone was too close to the case to be a part of it.

Emily looked at the case board, the team having taken over the living area of the Inn, Missy keeping the other guests from the area to allow them peace to work. She shook her head, a scowl on her face as she rubbed her bump over one of Hotch's jumpers that she had borrowed before she turned to JJ. "This is insane... why won't anyone talk about these people? No one in this town has an idea of who this person could be!"

"Emily, it's a small town. No one wants to believe that someone they are friends with, that they care about, is capable of doing this sort of horrific mutilation," JJ shrugged, her expression disappointed as she looked over the board. JJ's shoulders slumped, and she collapsed onto one of the couches, shuddering. "It's like something out of a horror movie... seriously, I keep thinking that some rapid creature from my nightmares is going to attack me whenever I go near a window."

"Tell me about it... it's bad enough that we have to deal with rapists, serial killers and paedophiles... they aren't monstrous enough? Now, they give us a case which could be right out of The Wolfman or Van Helsing," Emily grimaced, her hand moving in a circle motion over her stomach as she sat next to JJ. The blond rested her head on Emily's shoulder, sighing heavily as she looked around the open living area, a sad sort of look on her face.

"It's a shame that it was a case that bought us here... this place is actually really beautiful... other than the whole psychotic serial killer haunting the woods like a rabid animal..." JJ trailed off, when she notice Reid suddenly perking up, his eyebrows heavy over his eyes as he mutter 'rabid animal' and 'wolfman' under his breath. He suddenly shot up from the bar stool he sat on, stridign over to the board with a fixated expression. "Spence?"

"Shh..." he quickly hissed, waving a hand at her as he looked over the pictures, the victims and the locations on the map. His thoughts raced wildly, recalling everything he knew about mental illnesses and psychosis before he looked at JJ and Emily, with wide eyes. "One of the most common occurrences in this town and this area is animal attacks, right?" he asked rapidly, and Emily nodded slowly, unsure of where it was going. Missy, who always kept an ear open on people conversation shuffled over, wiping her hands.

"I wouldn't say they are common, dear, but yes, you are correct. Why, just two months ago poor Kieran Martin, he got attacked by wolves up by the river. The boy went into shock and it took him nearly a month to recover from the injuries," Missy drawled slowly, using her hand to balance on the arm of the couch, her eyes squinting slightly as she watched him. JJ rose an eyebrow, while Emily scoffed slightly.

"Reid, you can't seriously think that a _werewolf_ is attacking these people," she questioned, rhetorically and Reid shook his head rapidly, going over to the board. The area in which the majority of the attacks had been, closest to the woods next to the river banks was highlighted pink, and Ried grabbed a pen. Missy came over and looked at it closely, bending over to look at it more clearly as she didn't have her glasses, before she straightened.

"That's where Kieran was attacked... he spent near enough the whole night out there by the river. It was amazing he didn't die before they found him," Missy said softly, and Reid drew something on the map, before crossing to the whiteboard, writing down the profile on it messily. JJ watched his deliberation curiously, as he circled different traits and points, his mind putting the pieces together slowly.

"I think we are dealing with an UnSub who has a classical case of clinical lycanthropy," he finally stated, looking at them deadly serious. Emily's eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hairline, jaw dropping as she looked at him, while JJ just furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Clinical lycanthropy is a psychiatric syndrome in which the sufferer actually believes that they can transform into an animal or that they are an animal. In this cas, it would be like traditional lycanthropy, in which the afflicted becomes a wolf at the full moon."

"Wait, so people actually think they can turn into animals? That's ridiculous though... and surely someone would notice a person thinking they can turn into some sort creature, especially in a town like this," Emily argued, looking at Reid in disbelief. He had a lot of respect and love for the young man, and she knew that he was incredibly smart, a certified genius, but the idea that someone thought they could actually turn into a werewolf was incredibly far-fetched, even for what they saw in their line of work.

"Clinical lycanthropy is incredibly rare, that's why it's so unbelievable. But it fits with the time scale! The UnSub doesn't attack during the day because a werewolf doesn't. He is so into the delusion that he is actually able to function during the day but loses all control of himself at night. Clinical Lycanthropy can be and idiosyncratic expression of conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorders or manic depressives, and allows for moments of lucidity in which they realise what they have done," Reid explained, rambling as he paced the floor.

He squinted, and rubbed his temple jerkily, a persistent headache weighing on his mind as he processed the facts. JJ licked her lips, standing up and going over to the board. "It actually fits... but if they are normal during the day, how would anyone be able to tell who they are?" she questioned, blue eyes sparkling as she looked over at Reid and Emily. Reid's foot tapped as he crossed his arms, eyes closed as he thought hard, but also to block out the light. It was butchering his brain.

"He would display emotions of intense remorse when he hears about he victims, more so than normal, and he may also have a severe fear of canines and a tendency to become incredibly stressed in situations most would only become mildly irritated by," Reid told them, pinching the bridge of his nose before he looked up at them, swallowing a lump in his throat. His eyes flickered to Missy, before he spoke again. "Also the UnSub may have been recently attacked by a dog or a wolf."

"You aren't saying that little Kieran did this? He's had his trouble, what boy doesn't, but he wouldn't do this to people," Missy protested, her eyes widening as she gazed at him, completely horrified. Kieran Martin, before the attack, was their star footballer, a Quarterback on the school's team. He was a good boy. He just couldn't be responsible for this, he just couldn't be.

"I'm sorry, Missy... but he's the only suspect we have. We're going to have to bring him in," Emily apologised, pushing herself to her feet and she tilted her head, brown eyes soft as she looked at the older woman. Missy put her hand to her heart, whimpering as she excused herself moving slowly to the back room to compose her mind and her emotions. Reid's eyes fluttered, and he put both his hands to his temples, grimacing. "Are you okay, Ried?"

"I'm fine... it's just a headache... give me a minute," he mumbled and before they could stop him, he tore from the open area and up the stairs towards his room, leaving JJ and Emily alone in the living space. JJ frowned, an apprehensive look coming over her face as she stared in the direction Reid had left in. Emily bit her lip, hands on her hips as stood next to JJ.

"I'm worried about him," JJ breathed, blue eyes glinting with concern. Emily bobbed her head, agreeing silently. She place her hand on JJ's arm, and JJ looked at her, eyes sparkling, her lashes wet. "It feels like our team is being pulled apart... Rossi's keeping secrets, Morgan's angry all the time, Reid's suffering, Hotch only ever smiles when he is with you or Jack and I just... I want things to go back to the way they were. When we were a family... when we didn't hide things from one another. I want to stop feeling guilty for being happy."

"Hey... what brought this on? Nothings changed, JJ... we're still the same as we were four years ago, just older,. We are still a family, and we are still all here for one another. It's just strained at the moment," Emily assured her softly, and JJ laughed dryly, shaking her head. Her eyes were wide, and fearful, and she ran her hand through her hair, looking at Emily desperately.

"But how long until we can't do this anymore? This job destroys people, Emily... how long until it destroys us? How long until Morgan's so angry that he kills an UnSub in cold blood? Or Reid eventually can't come to work anymore because his head is tearing him apart from the inside? Or one of Rossi's secrets suddenly comes to light after it tries to kill us? Do you really want to bring your children into this?" JJ rambled, a tear falling down her cheek. Quickly she wiped it away, sniffing.

"JJ... calm down..." Emily instructed calmly, although she was terrified on the inside, JJ's words shaking her to the core. She didn't want to bring her children into this life she had now. She loved her job but there was no way she could let her babies be born into a world were she risked her life day in, day out, where she wasn't with them, protecting them from what she knew was out there. JJ swallowed and turned away from Emily, looking out the large bay windows over the river.

"Emily, it takes a psychotic serial killer who thinks he is a _werewolf_ to get us to come to a place this beautiful... none of us would even think about coming to places like this or taking a vacation anymore. It's just... it's tiring," JJ shrugged, and Emily pursed her lips, pondering what to say to that when it was the truth. They didn't think about vacations, or holidays anymore. Most of the time they were just glad to make it home to their family's at the end of the day.

She wasn't given a chance to reply when Reid returned, movements less erratic and more controlled. Emily smiled uneasily at him, and his lips twitched in a smile back, before he lifted his satchel from the couch. "We should go now... get Kieran Martins and bring him in..."

_-11.49am (Quantico, Virginia) 10:49am (Carlington Falls, Wisconsin)-_

"Kieran Martin hasn't been seen in nearly four days. Apparently he decided to take a camping trip and hasn't been heard from since. His mother was worried that he'd been attacked and killed by the 'monster in the woods'," JJ said to the Police Officers and the BAU team. Reid stepped forward, and gestured to the area of the map the attacks had occurred, lips pursed and the legs of his trousers wet from melted snow.

"All the of the attacks have occurred in this area of the town, on the edges of these woods, so it's highly likely that this is where Kieran mostly likely set up camp. I believe that the reason there was no attacks last month was because Kieran was in hospital, recovering from an attack from a wolf," Reid explained, and there was hesitance on the faces of the officers, still not wanting to believe that someone they knew, who was a big part of their town was responsible for the deaths of their chief and several girls.

"This attack is what we believe triggered the specificity of his delusion. He has manifested the belief that the creature that attacked him was a werewolf and he has, as a result, become a werewolf himself. Given the many different aspects now applied to lycanthropy, it is hard to determine the exact version of werewolf that the UnSub has adopted, so we shall stick to the absolute basics," Hotch continued, standing straight, back rigid as he looked out at the officers with a heavy, brooding brow. His arms were crossed over his chest and he stood close to Emily, partially blocking her from view.

Rossi looked at the Officers, at the expressions on their faces. Some were remorseful, most were angry and others were completely blank, refusing to show any emotion as they listened. Rossi knew how the mentality of this group would eventually devolve. They would go on the hunt, and they would kill Kieran without a moments hesitation because of the pain he had inflicted upon the town. They would want revenge, and they wouldn't stop at anything to get it.

"It's likely that when confronted, the UnSub will attack. By now, the UnSub will be completely lost in his delusion that he is a werewolf, and he will lash out at anyone who comes near him. Keep yourself vigilant and at the ready, and do not let anyone in the town leave their homes until Kieran is caught," Rossi instructed, his eyes shadowed and there were murmurs from the officers, Bower scowling at him. Then, the man stood and turned to his officers.

"Parker, you take Agent Morgan and Doctor Reid up to Marrows Creek, I want you to patrol that area. If you see Kieran, do not hesitate to shoot," he instructed and the dark skinned officer nodded, standing straight. There was obvious anger in his form, and his hand rested on his weapon, hyper-vigilant. "Cook, you, Agent Jareau and Fiskin go to south-west woods. Stay sharp and keep look out for the kids. It's the most popular area for them to gather."

Cook and Fiskin, both well-built, sharp-eyed young men, nodded curtly, accepting the order as JJ crossed over to were they were, shaking their hands silently. Bower turned to the other five officers. "Philips, take Agent Hotchner and Agent Rossi straight the ridge. If he's anywhere, he is most likely to be there. I will go with you. Gerrard, stay here with Agent Prentiss, if he comes into the town, you shoot him, understood? Before he gets to anyone. Frank, I want you to go house to house and instuct them to stay indoors and patrol the streets with Bell."

Frank frowned, his eyebrows heavy as he looked over at Emily, who put a hand over her bump protectively, lips pursing as she stared at Bower's back. Bower levelled each of his Officers with a sharp look, eyes flicking over them. "We shoot to kill, understood? He is a volatile, dangerous animal who needs to be taken down," Bower dismissed, and Hotch looked at Rossi with a concerned expression. He had the worst feeling that this was going to turn into a bloodbath, one shared with every other member of his team.

JJ shivered as she followed Fiskin through the trees, but didn't pause in her movements. The snow under the trees was shallower than the snow in town, but only by a couple of inches, making it difficult to move about. The area was a series of dips and ledges, making JJ feel incredibly insecure about being there, given the low branches of the trees and the lack of visibility even with the daylight.

The entire area was shadowed by a canopy of branches and pine needles, the snow fresh under foot other that the footsteps left by the two officers and JJ herself. Each held their weapon at the ready, Cook and Fiskin armed with a hunters shotgun and JJ with her Glock 26, her entire form on edge, eyes wide as she looking around the thick trunks of the trees for a potential threat.

She hated the woods... even now, the fear was heavy on her and she had valid reason. There were so many dangers, bears, wolves... and now apparently werewolves, ready to attack if someone intruded on their territory, and right now, they were stomping all over it. A low growl caused her to spin on the spot, eyes wide as she looked around frantically, ready to fire. Cook took notice of her sudden movement and rose his shotgun, eyes narrowed on the surroundings.

He had been part of the woods for a long time and he knew them like the back of his hand. If there was something coming, he would know. Fiskin cocked his shotgun slowly, eyebrows heavy over his blue eyes as he listened for another sound, another movement in the trees. JJ swallowed, stepping backwards slightly as she heard the low, echoing growl again, she looked over her shoulder, stalling in her movements as she realised how close she was to the edge of a bank, about two metres above another plain of snow.

The growl evolved, becoming a deep whining sound, and JJ's blue eyes were wide, terrified as she kept a tight grip on her Glock 26, inhaling deeply. The scent of pine and snow was sharp in her senses, mixing with the scent of wet dog nearby. Fiskin looked over at Cook, raising his hand and gesturing forward with two fingers, completely calm, and Cook moved through the trees, head tilting slightly.

The whine got deeper, louder, and Cook looked over his shoulder at Fiskin through the trees as he got closer to it, before he turned back to the trees. A large wolf stared him dead in the eye, growling dangerously at him and Cook froze, raising his shotgun slowly. The wolf sniffed, then growled dangerously and launched at him, jaws bared. Cook's eyes wined and he shouted out, the call cut short when the wolf's teeth bit into his throat.

JJ yelped at the shout, as Fiskin called out for Cook. He fired a shot, catching the wolf between the eyes and ran to Cook's fallen form, eyes wide. Before she grab hold of something, the snow under JJ's feet slipped and caused her to fall over the edge with a cry. Pain shot through her ankle and JJ moaned, crumpled up on the lain below the ledge. She grabbed her ankle, breathing heavily though the pain, the ankle twisted in an odd direction from her landing. "Fiskin? Are you there? Fiskin! My ankle, I twisted it!"

She heard movement above, and looked up at the ledge, her ankle throbbing, to see Fiskin looking over. "I'll get you out, just don't worry..." he assured her, his voice shaky and she nodded rapidly, her stomach falling as she looked around terrified.

Morgan made sure to stay close to Reid as they patrolled Marrows Creek. It was a high bluff over a pool of deep, dark, ice-cold water that had a thin layer of ice over the top. Reid kept away from the edge, nervously. He wasn't a strong swimmer. Never had been, so water had a tendency to make him feel insecure. Especially when it was covered in ice. Morgan watched Reid, as the cold man looked around, taking in their surrounding with wide eyes.

It was more open than the rest of the area, the trees starting three or four metres away from the edge of the bluff, the surface covered in moss and grass. Morgan looked around, scowling. "Where the hell did Parker go? He's supposed to be here with us," Morgan grumbled, looking over at Reid who was rubbing his arms over his jacket, cold. Parker had disappeared into the woods only two minutes ago, hearing a shout in the distance and instructing them to stay there. "This is bullshit, man... seriously."

Reid was quite, pacing back and forth as he tried to get warm, looking up at the clouded sky worriedly. "It's going to snow..." he mumbled, pausing in his pace as he stared at the heavy, dark clouds. His eye twitched slightly as he winced, putting a hand to his forehead and rubbing it quickly. Morgan furrowed his eyebrows, turning to Reid with a dark expression, concerned about the younger man.

"You okay kid? That's gotta be the tenth time since we came out here that you grabbed your head like that," he stated, and Reid pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering 'I'm fine' as he turned away from Morgan. The dark skinned man went to question him again, when he heard a rustling in the trees. Narrowing hsi eyes, he tried to see through the shadow, and then held up his hand. "Reid, wait here a moment, I'm gonna go take a look at this."

"Y...yeah... okay..." Reid stumbled, not paying any attention as he held onto his head. It felt like it was splitting in two. He groaned, bending over as he swayed, feeling disorientated. "Oh... it hurts... it really hurts..." he moaned, his feet failing as his knees went weak. He squeezed his eyes shut, his top half feeling heavy as he fumbled to keep his footing. "Mo... Morgan... Morgan... help..." he whimpered, as Morgan looked under the branches, to see what was causing the rustling.

Unable to see where he was going, he stumbled backwards when the rocks gave way under his feet and he fell down the bluff. "Morgan!" he shouted, before his body crashed trough the ice, head cracking of the edge, knocking him unconsciousness as he scan below the water. Morgan froze when he heard the crash, and turned quickly, running to the edge of the bluff.

"SPENCER!" he howled, and not even pausing, he dove over the edge. The ice had cracked where Reid fell through, causing it to separate and sink under the water, breaking into pieces. Morgan hit the water with a crash, diving under and swimming towards the barely visible shadow of Reid. Desperation coursed through him, terrified he wasn't going to get to him in time.

Morgan grabbed onto Reid's coat collar, his eyes large and pulled him up, wrapping an arm under the unconsciousness man's own and hoisting him up. He kicked his legs, dragging Reid to the surface as quickly as he could with the dead weight. Breaking through the surface, he took a large gulp of air, looking over to the bank frantically. He moved twards it, trying hard to keep Reid's head above the surface.

"Come on man... wake up..." he ordered, dragging his form onto the bank and checking his breathing. Morgan had to stop himself panicking completely when Reid wasn't breathing, staring CPR. "Don't you do this to me, kid... wake up, you hear?" he demanded in between grunts, pushing down on Reid's chest in swift beats. Morgan's swallowed heavily, bending down and giving him mouth-to-mouth before he returned to the beats.

Reid suddenly spluttered, water spurting out his mouth and he breathed rapidly, gasping for air. He flailed and Morgan grabbed onto him, hugging him tightly. "Oh thank God, man... seriously... don't you ever do something like that again?" he growled, looking at the disorientated man, before setting him down, and looking at his hand. It was covered in thick red liquid. Morgan swallowed. "Shit... we gotta get out of here."

The ridge was a low valley where the edge of the woods met the river banks. There were several abandoned log cabins along it, and boats half-pulled onto the river bank. The water ran rapidly down the sloping land, towards Lake Supreme. The snow that had been pulled into the water had melted, causing it to swell and break, nearly drowing out the area around.

Hotch's eyebrows were heavy as he looked over the area. His lips were pursed, and he looked at Rossi, who's hands were in his pockets. "You don't seem to be a vigilant as you told them to be," Hotch said, his voice low and Rossi rose and eyebrow, before jerking his head in Bower and Philips direction, a grim look on his face. Hotch looked over at the two men, who were scouting the area for Kieran Martin.

"I think they are vigilant enough. I don't really want to be involved in their vendetta for revenge," Rossi retorted, his breath visible in the air as he shuddered slightly. The temperature was dropping quickly as the clouds became more condensed with snow, threatening to blanket the already white area. Rossi looked at them wearily. "This case is weird, Hotch... This town is weird."

"Trust me, I understand. It's almost too good a town... it was too easy to categorise Kieran. They were to ready to jump at the chance to catch him... none of them even seem to be thinking about the victim," Hotch responded, looking at Philips, who was poking a piece of fabric with the barrel of his shotgun. Hotch placed his hand on his Glock 17, pulling it out of the holster while Rossi pulled his hands out of his pockets. "I think they found something..."

"Yeah, but what did they find?" Rossi muttered, as they moved over o were Philips was retching, and Bower was standing, stoical and firm, expression carefully blank. His lips were stiff and eyes lowered, before he looked up at Rossi and Morgan. Rossi paused when he saw teh mangled corpse of Kieran Martin, butchered in the snow, having previously been covered up by the shredded tent.

"I think this clears Kieran from our suspect list. He's been dead at least two days," Bower grunted, and Hotch concurred silently. Bower faced Philips, who was composing himself shakily as he held himself up by the trunk of the tree. The bark scratched his palm, and he scrubbed his face with his other hand, taking a deep breath. "Are you alright, Philips?" he questioned, fist clenched and Philips nodded.

"I'm good... don't worry..." he told them, straightening woozily and bobbing his head curtly. Bower hummed and then told them he was going to call it in, moving away from them silently and pulling on his radio. Philips watched him go, before he looked at Hotch and Rossi, slightly curiously. "At the station you said that the UnSUb would have an intesne fear of dogs, and have been attacked once before, right?"

"Yes. it's what we theorized, however Kieran was not the UnSub. Why?" Rossi questioned, and Philips looked over at Bower's back, before he swallowed the lump forming in his throat, shifting uncomfortably. Hotch returned his Glock to the holster, crossing his arms over his coat, jumper and shirt clad chest, before giving Philip's a pointed look not having time for any games.

"Well... that profile? It applies to one of the officers at the station," Philips informed them, and Hotch and Rossi looked at each other out the corner both their eye, before Rossi asked 'which one' slowly. Philips took a deep breath, his emotions conflicting within him as he stared at the two older, much wiser men. "Alastair Gerrard... the one staying with Agent Prentiss at the station."

Hotch froze, and his eyes widened, before he grabbed Philip's by the collar of his jacket. "Take us to the station. Now," he growled, darkly, a fierce instinct to protect the woman he loved rising in his gut, fear coiling it's way around his heart.

Emily tapped her foot impatiently, sitting down at the desk that Mary had forced cook to give the team. She rubbed her stomach in a soothing motion, in wide circles as she looked at the clock hanging on the wall. It's hands seemed to be moving deliberately slowly, mocking her impatience and worry which grew with every second her team were in the woods. Something had happened... she knew it. She could feel it in her stomach, the butterflies fluttering dangerously.

"Can you stop that, please?" Gerrard's voice snapped her out her thoughts, his voice a low rumble as he sat at the doorway, staring out the glass doors with an intent expression. Emily blinked in surprise, stopping the tapping of her foot as she looked at the clearly irritated male. "Thank you. That goddam noise was hurting my ears," Gerrard growled, although his tone sounded less thankful and more vicious than anything.

"Hmm... sorry..." she breathed, and he grunted, eyes narrowing as he watched the street through the doors. Emily gulped lightly, looking over at the board with a inquisitive expression. "So.. you must have seen a lot of attacks like these over the years, right? I mean... what with the kids tendency to venture into the woods, even though they aren't safe," Emily questioned, and Gerrard's head turned to her, eyes glinting darkly.

"Would you shut up? Your voice is grating," he snarled and Emily's jaw clenched, her expression turning steely as she looked at him. She pushed herself to her feet, moving cautiously over to the coffee maker. His eyes followed her, never leaving her form as she switched the coffee maker on at the wall. Jerkily, his eyes finally left her and returned to the snowy street. "I shouldn't be in here. I feel caged. I should be out there, in the woods. Where I belong."

His voice was a low whine, a crass gnarl to it that made Emily's blood run cold. The pit in the bottom of her stomach fell even further, and she began to feel queasy, her eyes shifting from the coffee maker to Gerrard and then back again. The man's expression was feral, his teeth bared as he turned to Emily again. "It's your fault, you know? That I'm stuck in here. I fucking hate small cramped spaces. Do you know what it feels like to be boxed in, caged up like an animal?"

"No... can't say that I do..." she replied, hesitantly and he barked with laughter, shaking his head menacignly and retorting 'of course you don't' as if it would hove been obvious. Emily silently poured her coffee, even though there was no way she was going to drink it, her head bobbing slowly. "And... naturally... you would?" she questioned, her eyes sliding to his form. He was well-built... even large if you thought about it. Obviously strong.

"Obviously, unlike you pathetic humans, I need to be out there, in my element," he sneered, his voice low and a mere breath, so Emily almost didn't hear it. Emily inhaled sharply and her hand slowly went to her Glock, licking her lips as he stood, cracking his neck and his fingers. "I can feel it... that delicious pull to nature, to the wild... my bones ache and my muscles clench... there is no pain like it... not even like the birth of your mongrel babies that you will suffer."

Emily took a step to the side, putting a desk between them as he approached her, twitching madly. "The rush of it.. is exhilarating... you become one with the beast, let the wolf take over and it's delicious when he does... the blood... oh... the blood just pours..." Gerrard rumbled, losing control of himself. Emily move backwards quickly, as he grabbed teh edge of the desk and threw it out of his way, so lost in his delusion that it had taken him over completely.

His teeth seemed sharper, his pupils larger, and becoming bottomless holes of black as he came closer to her. Emily quickly dove out the way of his swiping arm, snatching her Glock out of it's holster and aiming at Gerrard's chest. He howled with laughter, mocking her for thinking a gun would work as he advanced to her, wildly. He grabbed for her and she fired, her aim steady and eyes wide.

The bullet tore through his shirt and the skin underneath, lodging into his heart. The man choked, coughing as his knees buckled under him. He fell onto his back, convulsing before he stilled, a pool of blood appearing below him. Emily's breaths were steady, and she stared at his fallen form. Then her lips trembled, and she dropped the gun, wrapping her arms around her bump protectively.

If she hadn't have her Glock, she would be dead... her babies would be dead... all because she refused to stay out of the field... tears slid down her cheeks and she rocked. Her babies... they weren't safe... not while she was here... not in this job. Emily hiccuped, her hormones surging and fear racing through her veins. She jumped sharply when the door to the station was kicked open, grabbing her Glock and holding it up, ready to shoot.

"Emily, it's me... don't shoot," Aaron instructed quickly, and the Glock slipped from her hands, as he enveloped her in his arms, falling next to her. "Thank God you're alright..." he whispered, and she sniffed, her eyes filling with more tears as he cupped her cheeks, kissing her frantically, needing to be assured she was still there. Her hands clawed at his back, holding onto his as she sobbed into his mouth.

"I am never... leaving you again... ever..." he breathed, and she nodded her head rapidly, looking at him, terrified. He licked his lips, the taste of her still on them, before he kissed her forehead and pressed his own against it. "I love you, Emily... I love you..."

"I love you too..." Emily whimpered, and he pressed his lips back to hers, hard.

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed :) <strong>

**What do you think? ****Baring in mind it was after midnight when I finally got it finished. o.O**

**Goodnight!**


	21. 09 November 2012 Evening

**A/N: This is a Hotch/Emily story.**

**Okay, okay... it took a while, but here it is :) Chapter 21! :) Now, the reason it took so long was because i have spent the last three days sobbing and lamenting over my utter failure at biology meaning I can't go to uni to do nursing and have to stay in high school... well not failure, I got a c and needed a b ... but anyway, a lot of my mood influenced this chapter and now it's finished! so YAy! Plus I'm feeling way better now :) **

**Thank you all for getting us to 97 reviews :) How's that for freaking awesome! Let's get to 105 for next chapter :) That'd be brilliant! Can't believe we are this close to the 100 review mark, or the over 100 000 words mark lol ;) Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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><p><strong>Alteration<strong>

_09 November 2012  
><em>_-20:14am (Quantico, Virginia) 19:14am (Carlington Falls, Wisconsin)-_

"Are you sure you are okay, Jayje?" Emily asked, concerned as she looked over at JJ, who was holding ice wrapped in a tea towel to her ankle sitting on the long couch on the Jet. She nodded distractedly, responding it was just a sprain with a shrug. Her shoe and sock had been removed, replaced by a white bandage around the swollen appendage. The skin was a mottled purple colour, and twice the size of her other ankle. The bandage was snugly wrapped to prevent further swelling, and she had her foot resting on the long chest built into the cabin next to the couch.

She was pushed up to the end, as Reid took up rest, holding a wrapped ice-pack to his head at intervals for 20 minutes to reduce the throbbing lump at the back of his head. The cut had been numbed with lidocane, much to Reid's horror, while he was unconscious before it was cleaned and stitched up by Doctor Clyde at the Carlington Falls Doctors surgery. He blinked to clear his vision, looking at JJ who was giving him a worried look. He gave her a shaky smile to ease it, closing his eyes uptil Morgan nudged him on the arm.

The minute they had gotten off the bank, Morgan had gone into over-drive, his protective instincts kicking in and leaving no room for reason. Reid was his little brother, and he wasn't away to let anything happen to him, not after he just fell off a cliff into ice-cold water. Evidence of the flu was already starting to affect him, his throat sore and rasping, coughing every few minutes dryly and chills sweeping through him. Morgan wasn't going to let that stop him from looking after Reid though.

Hotch was keeping Emily far away from him, even though they had both had flu vaccinations. After what happened in the station, there was no way on the planet he was putting her or their babies in risk of anything again. From her immediate allowance of his moving her, he would guess that her attitude had shifted to the same view as well. Emily looked at the window, away from her team-mates and out the window. She sighed heavily, resting her head against the glass pane as she softly moved circles over her bump. Emily didn't realise she was doing it, it came to her naturally.

"Strauss is going to have a field day with this... you know that she is going to be furious with you two for not informing her about your relationship," Rossi chastised the couple. Emily rolled her eyes, muttering 'Who cares what Strauss thinks' grumpily and she felt Hotch's hand wrap around hers, fingers intertwining with hers artfully. Rossi smirked, his lips naturally crooked. "You may not care, Emily, but your job will be at risk when she find out."

"My job won't be at risk, because I'm not going to do it anymore," Emily stated, looking at Rossi who sat opposite them at the table. JJ looked at her sharply, and Reid whimpered 'what?' confused as Rossi rose his eyebrow. Morgan's expression darkened, but he was unable to say anything as a cough tore itself from his throat, making him lean forward in his seat as he covered his mouth with his hand.

Hotch's eyebrows were heavy as he turned to her, an empathic expression on his face. Emily licked her lips, and gave them a soft look. "I'm pregnant, guys... I can't put myself in the sort of danger I was in today anymore. It's not just me anymore, it's my babies as well," she explained and JJ gave her a supportive glance, understanding where she was coming from. JJ still sometimes thought that maybe she should have spent more time off work when Henry was a baby, and while it was too late now as he was in Pre-Kindergarten, she missed those times with him that she hadn't been around for.

Reid's lips pursed, looking down at his lap silently. He couldn't protest, not with the fact that he had three kids himself. He didn't want Emily to go, not by a long shot, but the one thing he had been most thankful for when Chris had been pregnant was the fact that her job never required her to be on the field until last year. Chris being in the field made him realise how she felt whenever he had been in a situation that was life or death, or when he had been shot. He sighed heavily, wondering how she was going to react to his concussion and potential influenza.

"So you're just going to leave us? What, that's it? No warning, you're just leaving?" Morgan rasped, having composed himself from his coughing fit. Emily's eyes narrowed and Hotch glowered, as Morgan stared at her indignantly. There was no doubt that Morgan was angry. In his eyes, this was his team breaking up even more. The people who knew him perhaps better than he knew himself, and he could see them falling apart. It was like Elle all over again.

"Derek, this is me giving warning. It's not going to be forever, just until I'm ready to come back after the twins are born. I'm not going to leave the team permanently, I couldn't. But I can't go on field cases while I'm pregnant. Plus, it'll keep Strauss of our backs until I can come back from work if I stay at Quantico working as point man, while the team are in the field on a case," Emily calmed him, trying to ease his worries. She softened her cold look, so make him feel calmer and less threatened.

Morgan breathed deeply, before he coughed again, spluttering slightly. Reid looked over at him, vision blurred before reapplying his ice pack to his head, closing his eyes tiredly. He really couldn't wait to get home. Emily looked at Hotch, searching his eyes for some sort of reaction yet coming in contact with a carefully built wall of impasse. She smiled lightly at his attempts to keep professional after kissing her in the middle of a police station.

She leaned over and pressed her lips to his cheek softly, causing his lips to turn up slightly and Rossi to chuckle, shaking his head as he looked out the window. "You still want to buy that house together?" she whispered, and he rose an eyebrow. Emily grinned and squeezed his hand. "Well, you love me and I'm having your babies... and it's 'logical', remember?" she teased, and he chuckled, before kissing her temple. Emily smiled, but bit her lip, feelign slightly insecure. "Do you still want to?"

He looked at her, and if he was surprised by the sudden vulnerability in her eyes he didn't show it, his hand going to her cheek and brushing his thumb over it. "I would love to" he whispered, and she flushed, beaming at him.

Rossi smirked slightly, not looking at the couple as he looked over at JJ, who was watching, a small smile on her lips. He winked at her playfully, and she chuckled, before returning her attention to her ankle with a pout.

Garcia paced the space between Emily and Morgan's desks in the bullpen fretfully, muttering to herself as she waited for the team to arrive. The last thing she had heard from her babies was that Reid and JJ were both hurt and Morgan was sick and that Emily had nearly been killed by an UnSub. Garcia's lip trembled. Oh, her poor sweethearts... and the team were all having to come into the office as well to get their work finished before they could even go home.

It was an almost bitter end to the day, especially after Chris had been unable to locate Gideon at his apartment before she had to go collect Eva from Nursery School. That was the problem with getting a mother of a three year old to do your dirty work... they were always distracted in the end. Garcia hadn't even been able to tell her about the team's injuries, knowing if she did Chris was more than likely to freak out about the fact that Reid had nearly drowned, and Emily was nearly killed, and JJ was badly hurt. Almost like Garcia was now...

In her panic, Garcia didn't notice the shadowed form in the round room, watching her with twinkling brown eyes. His arms were crossed, and he looked around his old BAU conference room with a curious expression, lips thin as he eyes caught a small side chest with picture frames on it. A slice of happiness in a room that saw so much pain and suffering on it's screens. The colour had changed since he was last there, a deeper burgundy, and the large screens on the walls had been updated, but it was still the round room, nothing could change that.

The backs of some of the picture frames were scuffed, showing that the pictures in them were repeatedly updated. Others were in perfect condition, with pictures in them that never changed. One of those included a portrait of Elle, and other of him and another of the original team as well as a picture of Ashley Beauchamp, who he recognised from the Redmond Ripper case. The rest were more recent of the team.

There was a picture of Garcia and a man as... odd as her, kissing at a birthday party with rainbow striped cone hats on their heads and a slice of birthday cake in each hand. Garcia was still the same as ever, brightly dressed and outrageously individual. By the looks of it, her boyfriend was into that technological stuff as well, with thick rimmed glasses, messy hair and a paisley patterned shirt with a bright green tie.

Next to it, was a wedding picture, with Reid sporting a haircut that he recognised slightly as the 'boy-band' look, floppy and flicked out. He looked surprisingly fashionable, filled out slightly more over the years, in black-tie, his bow tie undone and hanging loose. A woman Gideon din't recognise was standing in his arms, looking up at him with a wide smile, her arms reaching up and hands messing his hair. She wore a white, strapless wedding dress, dark hair pinned back in curls under a veil. Surprisingly, Reid din't even seem uncomfortable with her.

There was a picture of JJ and a small boy partially behind it. The blond was glowing as she beamed at the boy, her blue eyes bright as the three year old waved at the camera from her arms. He looked just like her, with blonde hair and sparkling eyes, wearing a white shirt and blue jeans. Gideon wasn't oblivious, and noticed the ring on her left hand easily, smiling lightly. Sweet JJ was getting married. She deserved some happiness...

In a bright frame with intricate carvings of dummies, ribbons and toy blocks, with 'The BAU Babies' emblazoned in gold letters over the blue and pink backing. The boy from the previous picture was in it, standing next to a child that Gideon instantly recognised as Jack Hotchner. A caramel, curly-haired girl held onto a small boy under his arm, the little boy slightly red faced, while another dark haired girl sat in front of Jack, a large, happy smile on her face as she held onto a box of candy. They were all dressed in little suits, and Jack held a sign that said 'Future agents' with a grin, causing Gideon to chuckle slightly.

Beside it was a picture of Morgan and Reid, obviously taken when they weren't expecting it. They were both asleep, Morgan on the couch hugging a phone to his chest and Reid half on the floor, head on Morgan's arm, hand crossed over his chest as he slept. His hair was the shortest Gideon had ever seen it before. Gideon would have to guess that it was Garcia who took the picture and put it in the frame for all to see.

Then, there was a picture of the whole team, a new one, including the obviously previously retired Agent Dave Rossi and the brunette from the photo with Reid. Hotch was at the centre of the group, Emily tucked into his side, Garcia's head popping over her shoulder between Reid and the woman. Morgan was bent down in front, the woman's hand on his back and Reid's chin on his head, while Hotch had an arm around Rossi who had an arm around JJ.

Gideon lifted it up, looking at their faces carefully. The team were, as much as the could be, happy. His eyebrow rose at how close Emily and Hotch were, her form pressed right up against him, a larger than life smile on her face as his arm wrapped around her waist, holding her to him. So something had happened between them. He had always believed that if any pair of stubborn, duty-bound agents would be the ones to break the rules and get together, it would be Hotch and Emily.

Setting the picture back down, he looked back out the blinded windows to were Garcia was still panicking and muttering to herself. They had all changed and grown so much since he left... Started their own families and met new people, made the team bigger. The team had done well without him. A feeling of pride filled him as he looked at Reid's desk. Reid had been able to move on after he left, and be happy.

For that, he was truly thankful.

_-21:00pm (Washington, D.C)-_

Chris yawned tiredly running a hand over her face as she moved down the stairs softly, so not to wake the sleeping children up the stairs. Paws trod behind her, tail wagging as he pushed past her and into the living room, eager to curl up on his bean bag bed. Her eyes drifted to the clock, the woman feeling apprehensive as she waited for Reid to come home. She knew that he had to go to the office first, and the Jet hadn't even landed yet, and wouldn't for another fifteen minutes ago, but her stomach twisted with worry as she waited.

In her gut, she knew something was wrong... she wasn't sure if it was something wrong with the case, or the fact that the elusive and never-talked about Gideon had returned, but something was definitely not right and it was making her feel sick not knowing what it was. Paws whined, smelling the worry coming from her and she winced, feelign guilty as he came over and rest his head on her knee.

"Sorry, Paws..." she mumbled, scratching his ears and he whined softly again, head butting her hand. She didn't reach for her laptop, or the remote for the television, instead focused on the black-furred puppy, listening out for any sounds from the upstairs or the baby monitor on the side table that caught the noises in James' room. All she could hear was Puppy, shuffling about and growling softly under her breath.

Chris felt a breeze drifting through the house, and she furrowed her eyebrows at the sudden chill, while Paw's quickly rose his head, growling dangerously as he teeth bared. He sniffed the air, and then darted from the living room, barking. Through the monitor, she heard James start crying at the sleep disturbance, Puppy having started barking in response to Paws demanding yelps.

Pushing herself up from the couch, she reached into the drawer under the table, removing the Glock she kept hidden in it and moved through the house, holding the Glock pointed to the floor, ready to fire. The cool breeze made her hyper-vigilant, and she moved down to the kitchen, eyes narrowed when she saw the French doors wide open. She had locked those. At night, she always locked those doors. She was perfectly okay leaving them open during the day, but at night they got locked.

Quickly she turned the corner, looking into the kitchen area and finding it empty. In the garden Paws barked loudly, scratching at the base of the wall at the far back, trying to get over the top. The neighbours were turning on the lights outside, cursing her and the 'damn dog' darkly as Chris switched on the porch light, looking out into the empty back garden cautiously.

Exhaling heavily, she tucked her Glock into the back of her jeans, and whistled Paws. "Come on, boy, indoors," she called, clapping her hand against her leg, the dog paused in his barking and looked over at her, before rebounding off the wall and bouncing over to her. He sat dutifully behind her, behind in the air and front lowered as he growled, ready to pounce if anything came to the doors as she closed and locked them again.

She swallowed heavily, before she reached over and tucked the curtains on either side of the doors shut. They were mostly there for show, but honestly she was becoming scared in her own home and she needed those curtains to be closed to put herself more at ease. The minute the garden was out of sight, Paws relaxed, sniffing at her hand. She grinned down at him and rubbed his head, kissing the top of his head before James insistent cries caught her attention again.

Exhaling heavily, she went to go comfort him, to restart the entire bedtime routine that she had to go through to get him to sleep and relax when she noticed an envelope on the kitchen table, that had most definitely not been there previously. Someone had come into the house and left it there... Chris' eyes widened, her heart beating erratically before she forced herself to calm down and lifted the A4 brown envelope. 'Mrs Spencer Reid' was written in capitols on it, in thick blue marker.

Sliding the tab open, she held it upside down and let it's contents, a single DVD in a clear plastic covering fall out onto the table. Chris furrowed her eyebrows and lifted it, turning it to see the word 'Enjoy' written on it simply and nothing else. It froze her, and the only thing that pulled her out of it was James' insistent cries. She set it down on the table and moved away from it, moving quickly up the stairs.

Smelling her approaching, Puppy stopped barking, and settled again, as she entered the room and lifted James from his crib, the one year old standing up and holding onto the bars. "Momma," he whimpered, as she kissed his temple softly. She lifted his pacifier from is pillow and put it in his mouth, holding her finger to her lips. He sniffed and burrowed into her neck tiredly. "Momma..."

"I know baby... Puppy scared you, but it's alright... now shush, okay? Momma's gotta check on Anna and Eva," she cooed, tip-toeing out of James room and to the room next to it, she opened the door, expecting to see both girls up and alert and finding them asleep instead the pink twinkle lights along the ceiling casting a soft glow over the sleeping four year old and three year old girls. Raising an eyebrow, she looked at them both closely, and smirked when she saw that both had earplugs in.

She shook her head, moving out the room quietly and closing the door behind her. Rocking James, she shushed the stressed boy swaying from side to side until he had lulled back into his sleep, sucking his pacifier woozily. "Good sleepy baby..." she whispered, setting him down again in his crib and tapping her leg so Puppy knew to come back in. The trained dog hopped in and curled up in her beanbag on the corner, while Chris left the room, the door ajar.

Chris pulled her Glock from the back of her trousers, moving down the stairs slowly, her eyes shifting over the area cautiously. It was insane, and she should be able to feel safe in her own home, especially with two large dogs, but she didn't. It was those bloody French doors. Peeping into the living room, she saw it was clear, and the French Doors were still locked, Paws lying in front of them, watching.

Exhaling heavily, she strode over to the table quickly and lifted the disk. She looked at it and then went over to the bin, stepping on the peddle to open it. She held the disk over the bin and went to drop it when she paused, swallowing heavily. Whoever it was that had left this... they had waited until she was home and it was late, and they had broken into her home, risking her two fogs in order to make sure she got it. It was obviously important.

Removing her foot from the bin peddle, she strode into the living room and turned the television on, bending down to insert the disk into the DVD player. She paused before pressing the close button, nervous as to what exactly was on the disk, and whether or not she really wanted to see it, no matter how important it was to whoever had left it. Licking her lips, she pressed the button and moved backwards to the couch, sitting down on it and leaning forward when an image flickered onto the screen.

It was dark, shadowed in the corners and the only light cam from an overhead lamp above a chair that someone was tied to. Chris' eyes widened and she leaned forward, trying to make out who it was only to inhale sharply in horror when she saw that it was her husband, tied to the chair. Her first instinct was to run to the hone and get anyone... everybody to find out where he was, when she realised that this wasn't her husband.

By the style of his hair, and his clothes, and his shoes... the Reid on the screen was only twenty-five. This was from before her marriage.

There was movement in the shadows, and Chris eyes darted along the screen, as a black clothed man, with dirty blond hair and a scruffy, bristly face stepped forward. Chris' heart stopped for a moment, when he rose a gun to Reid's head. The man cocked it, slowly, and the blood thundered in her ears, preventing her from hearing what they were saying, watching their lips move.

Then, he pulled the trigger, and before she could stop herself, she screamed, covering her mouth in terror.

_-21:38pm (Quantico, Virginia)-_

Emily yawned as they walked into the BAU, one hand over her mouth and the other on her bump. The last place she actually wanted to be at that moment in time because she felt dead on her swollen ankles and feet. She wanted to be at home, in a nice bubble bath, with Hotch massaging her feet. Whether or not it was willingly didn't matter. They were sore, and she was carrying around his growing babies.

Most of all, though, she wanted to see Jack. Her heart had nearly stopped when Gerrard had tried to kill her, and the first thought that she had was that Jack couldn't lose another mother. It hadn't hit her until that moment that she was his mom now. She loved that boy more than life itself and right now she needed to see him and to hold him. She needed Jack as much as he needed her.

Hotch hovered behind her protectively, carrying both her go-bag and his own. He set them both down on her desk as he helped her to sit, and even though she protested lightly, after the last few days of down-right oddity, she loved the way he was taking care of her. It may have also had something to do with the fact that she had nearly been killed, and would have if she hadn't been so good with a gun, but that was just beside the point.

Almost as soon as she had sat down, Garcia was there,hugging Emily tearfully. "Oh, sweetheart! Thank God you are alright... I was so worried, and everyone was in so much danger and I knew, I just knew, that something bad was going to happen on that case and now look at you all, you are a complete mess!" Garcia rambled fretfully, letting go of Emily and looking at her precious babies.

JJ was moving around on crutches, not allowed to put any weight on her ankle for at least 48 hours. Her hair was wild, and her eyes slightly wide, while behind her, Morgan stood, hunched slightly and shivering, rubbing his arms as he sweat slightly. His skin felt like a furnace, but at the same time he was freezing. It felt like millions of tiny needles were pricking him, causing his muscles to ache and breaths to come unnaturally, his throat rasping horrifyingly as he tumbled into his chair without a care, wanting to curl up and sleep forever.

Reid's movements were slow, and stumbling, holding an ice-pack to the back of his head as he fell into his desk chair, face pale and coughing lightly. Hotch was, despite his visibly stoic and unemotional expression, visibly shaken, standing protectively over Emily like a strong lion protecting his pride. His eyes were shadowed by his brow and he had on hand on her shoulder as he looked around the Bullpen, feeling something out of place.

Rossi's eyes were trained on the Round Room, looking through the shielded blinds at the figure waiting within, his lips turned down. He was the only one who seemed relatively unscathed, with no injuries or obvious torment from the day. His eyes were aged, tired, but wizened to the world and the horror is contained. Little surprised him anymore. He didn't mention the figure in the Round Room, looking over to were Garcia fret insistantly over Morgan.

"Oh, my poor sweet angel, look at you... baby, you are in desperate need of some love and care... Those taut muscles of your are all sweaty and you're running a fever," she fawned over him like a mother hen, pressing her hand to his forehead and pouting when she felt the thick sheen of sweat over it, becoming more and more worried by the second. "Why is it always you, why do you always have to be the hero?" she mumbled, her eyes tearing slightly and he rose a shaky hand to her face, wiping it away before it could fall.

"Because, baby girl, when it's my little brother on the line, I would do anything for him," Morgan rasped, his eyes going to Reid. The younger man's entire form was tense with guilt, keeping his eyes low to avoid Garcia's concerned gaze. Morgan winced and stood shakily, going over to Reid and patting his shoulder. Reid looked up at him, slightly blurry-eyed and Morgan gave hi ma smirk. "I got your back, kid. Whether you want me to save you or not, I'm gonna be there, pulling you back from that edge."

Reid swallowed and bobbed his head. "Thanks," he muttered, before a coughing fit suddenly overcame both men. Hotch looked at his team and shook his head. They were going to have to shut down the entire team until they were in better condition. It would most likely be a whole week before JJ could come back to work with her ankle, and Morgan and Reid would both need to take time off to get over their mutual influenza.

That would only leave Hotch, Rossi, Emily and Garcia in the office. Emily wasn't going on cases and staying point at the BAU office, which left Rossi and Hotch. There couldn't be a team of profilers with only two profilers on it. The idea was ridiculous. He shook his head. "Alright, everyone go home. I think we've worked too hard the last few days, and some of us," he gave JJ, Morgan and Reid a pointed look, "...are in too bad a condition to even think about coming into work for at least a week. I don't want to see any of you in this office tomorrow."

Garcia hummed, and held her hand up timidly. "Actually, sir... there is something you really should know..." she informed him slowly, and if possible, Hotch's eyebrows fell even lower over his eyes, lips turning down in the traditional scowl he seemed to wear. Garcia gazed around the team, suddenly feeling fidgety and she twisted one of her many rings on her fingers. "Well, something you all need to know... really..."

"What is it, Garcia," Hotch asked quickly, really wanting the day to be over. Garcia jumped slightly at his voice, the authorizing... demanding tone it held and she fumbled for her words, wondering how best to tell them. Rossi intervened, deciding that maybe it was time to save the poor woman from her obvious flustered state.

"Garcia, would this have anything to do with the person in the Conference room?" he questioned, lightly, and the entire team looked up at the window to see the shadowed figure facing them. Garcia's eyes widened, her eyebrows raising before her entire form softened and she nodded slowly. Rossi eyed her, at the sudden release of tension in her body and rose an eyebrow. "Who is in the Conference room, Garcia?"

"I... it might be Jason Gideon," she responded after a moment, smiling sheepishly as it dawned on her that the reason they couldn't find Gideon was because he had been there all along. Rossi's eyebrows rose into his hairline, while Reid paled and swallowed heavily. Hotch hid his emotions carefully behind a mask of indifference, while Emily's face broke out into a smile, looking up at Hotch eagerly. Morgan was honestly feeling too ill to even react, falling back into his chair with Garcia holding his arm worriedly as she guided him to the seat. JJ stood on her crutches, her foot hovering above the ground, her jaw gaping at Gideon as he left the Round room.

He hadn't changed at all in the last five years. His hair was still cropped short, greyed at the roots. He wore a thick blue fleece over a white buttoned shirt and a yellow t-shirt. Gideon's shirt was tucked into a pair of denim jeans, under his fleece, and his feet were covered by heavy work boots, keeping his feet warm when combined with his woollen socks.

Reid's eyes followed his movement as he walked along the platform and down into the bullpen, watching the teams reactions carefully. He stopped in front of them, hands in his pockets and for a moment, silence reigned before Rossi took the first move and greeted him. "Jason!1 It's been too long. How have you been?" he questioned stepping forwards and shaking the other man's hand.

"I have been well... travelled for a while and revisited my birdwatching. I spent some time with my son as well," Gideon informed Rossi, smiling that thin-lipped smile he had. Rossi hummed pleasantly, his head bobbing, before he looked over his shoulder at Hotch, who seemed to be slightly agitated as he decided upon which route to take. He pursed his lips, his hand on Emily's shoulder as she rubbed circles on her bump silently.

"Well, if you excuse me... I am going to retire to my office. I want to get this paperwork finished so I can go home and go to bed," Rossi told them all casually with a quirk of his eyebrow before he brushed past Gideon and up the stairs to the platform, yawning to himself as he did so. Hotch moved from behind Emily's chair, and stretched out his hand, his expression becoming almost welcoming as he smiled at Gideon.

"Jason... you look great. The last five years have been good to you," Hotch stated and Gideon thanked him. Hotch's politeness caused a rebounding effect on the team, and they all went to greet him apart from Reid, who hung back silently with a shadowed expression. "It hasn't been the same around here without you. What brings you back to the BAU? Strauss ask you to do a seminar?"

"No... It was just time to come home..." Gideon shrugged and Hotch concurred, as Emily led into his side, scrubbing her face sleepily as she smiled at Gideon. Hotch's arm moved around her waist almost automatically, needing her closer than she already was. Gideon rose his eyebrows in surprise at their familiarity in a workplace. He had honestly assumed that when they were in the office they would be completely professional, but their behaviour was presenting itself as the exact opposite.

"You are glowing, Emily... Pregnancy is wonderful on you," he complimented her, and Emily flushed, her hand going to her twelve week bump embarrassedly. Having been around pregnant woman more than once before, Gideon found it easy to recognise pregnancy in Emily from her mannerisms. "How far along are you?" he asked softly, and she replied 'twelve weeks' happily, before she covered her mouth as a gaping yawn overcame her and her feet throbbed.

She moved back to her seat and massaged her ankles. "I'll be out of the field now until after they are born... staying and running point at the office," she informed Gideon. He questioned 'why' in surprise, having expected the headstrong woman to stay working as long as she possibly could until her baby... or as she had insinuated, babies, were born. Emily swallowed, looking at Hotch.

"We had a close encounter with an UnSub on our last case, and it made me realise that it wasn't safe to be in the field while pregnant. Plus, staying at the office means that at night I can spend the nights with Jack at home... and looking for a house," Emily added as an after-thought. Gideon didn't question her mentioning Jack and spending the nights with him, instead looking over at JJ when her phone rang and she answered it.

"Hey Will... you're her? Do you want us to come meet you outside or are you coming up? Alright, Spence and I will be down in a moment... I love you too," she toned gently, a small smile on her lips as she looked at the still silent Reid. He gazed over at her, as she put a hand on his arm. "Are you ready to go? Will is here to pick us up," she questioned and he nodded rapidly, lifting his satchel strap over his head and moving to leave, pushing past Gideon and keeping his eyes on the floor.

"Spencer... let me explain..." Gideon asked the young man, holding onto his arm and Reid shrugged him off, looking him in the eye. The hurt and betrayal from years before swirled in them, dredged up from the recesses of his mind at Gideon's sudden reappearance in his life. "Spencer, I didn't know who I was anymore. I couldn't see any good in the world, I lost my faith. Please understand, I left because it was for the best."

Reid was silent, before he looked at Gideon, lips pursed. "You could have just said that to my face," he said, his voice tinged with cold and he stepped away from Gideon, putting a hand to the back of his head as the numbing from his injection began to wear off. "Just leave me alone..." he grumbled, and JJ bit her lip as he stormed from the BAU office. JJ limped after him, on her crutches after giving Gideon an apologetic look and saying 'Goodnight' to the team.

"I'm sorry about Reid, the last few months for him have been rather turbulent," Hotch told Gideon, and Morgan scoffed, shaking his head despite the fact that he was dizzy and sweating profusely. Garcia peeped worredly as he stood from his chair, stumbling over to Hotch and Gideon and leaning on Reid's desk.

"Don't apologise for him, Hotch. Reid was well in his right to be upset," Morgan snapped, and he faced Gideon, still strong and adopting his alpha-male stance even when he was ill. "We were doing just fine without you, Gideon. With all due respect, you don't need to be here. We have coped the last five years without you so why not cut the bullshit an tell us why you are really here. Cause this day has been crappy enough without you messing it up."

"Morgan, leave it," Hotch growled, narrowing his eyes on the angry ex-copper, while Garcia reached out and put her hands on his arm, trying to support one of the main men in her life.

"No man, I won't. This guy was supposed to be our leader and then he just up and abandoned us! I get it, he had his reasons, but he left us with only a note. He didn't even have the guts to look us in the eye and say goodbye, and then we were the ones who had to clean out his office!" Morgan ranted, before his head swirled. He put a hand to it,trying to stay solid and failing as the dizziness caused his knees to buckle. Garcia yelped, trying to catch him as Morgan fell forward, unconscious into Gideon, who caught the sick man.

"He needs to be in hospital... oh, my poor sweet angel..." Garcia sobbed, her heart aching for the man she loved as a brother. She put a hand on his forehead and actually winced at how hot it was, searing her palm. Emily stood from her chair, worried as she moved over to the gathered group.

"Garcia, Emily, take him to the hospital, and then go home and get some rest. I'll finish up the paperwork from the case," Hotch instructed and Garcia nodded rapidly, as her and Emily hoisted Morgan's arms over their shoulders. Emily gave Hotch a sharp look, asking silently if he was sure, and he nodded in response, maintaining a professional stance in front of his long-time friend and colleague. Hotch turned back to Gideon, who's face was stony and his eyes troubled. gong to apologise he stopped when Gideon shook his head.

"Please don't say sorry for him, Aaron. I knew that my return may cause friction when I may the decision," Gideon stated and Hotch eyed him silently. Then, he questioned 'your return?' slowly, eyes shuttering. Gideon nodded slowly. "Yes... I'm going to be lecturing some seminars on dissecting the behaviours of organised serial killers at the Academy. Special request from Strauss."

"How long will you be here?" Hotch asked, crossing his arms and Gideon thought for a moment, leaning against Reid's desk. He copied Hotch's movement of crossing his arms, a calm look on his face.

"Officially, two months. However, I'm back in Washington, and I have a new apartment I will be staying in. I found the light in the world again... I found it's meaning, Aaron," Gideon smiled and Hotch rose an eyebrow. A wistful expression came over Gideon's face, and he looked at Hotch peacefully. "I'm getting married."

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><p><strong>Oooh... so what did you think, thoughts, observations... general opinions on what you think will happen next... share them please in a review :)<strong>

**Hope you enjoyed!**


	22. 25 November 2012 Morning

**A/N: This is a Hotch/Emily story.**

**It's a little shorter than the previous ones, I know, but it's late, and I'm tired :) I hope you like it! Really do :) Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, you are the best :P A bit of everyone in this chapter, I think :) I'm sure you'll like it.**

**I'm warning you now though, have tissues ready cause it gets a little sad later on. **

**Hope you enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Alteration<strong>

_25 November 2012  
><em>_-10:25am (Washington, D.C)- _

Emily smiled widely at her friends, as they walked down the street, carrying three bags full of maternity clothes. She really had no choice anymore but to buy them. Emily was finally far to big to fit into any of her old clothes. Both her babies were now the size of lemons and she had weighed herself in that morning at 155lbs. That was a full two and a half stones more than she had been before she got pregnant. She felt like she had swallowed a whole melon...

Instead of hiding her bump now, she had moved into enjoying it though, wearing a grey layering ruched scoop top, which encased her round stomach perfectly, under a Navy suede maternity wrap jacket with an empire waist that tied over her stomach. She had on black skinny jeans, which had a stretching band that offered both support to the bump, and elasticity for further growth. On her feet she wore a pair of comfortable, yet stylish black suede wedge boots.

"It's a shame Chris couldn't come shopping with us... you'd think with looking after an ill Spence, three kids and two dogs at all times she wouldn't be able to wait to get away from them," JJ mused, holding a coffee and her hand bag. She wore high rise, boot-leg jeans, with a nude woollen sweater top under her black Angora trench coat style cape and black ankle boots. Her ankle was healing rapidly and it was no longer necessary for her to use crutches or keep her weight off of it. Garcia had bounded ahead to go into one of her favourite shops and buy something for Morgan.

"She's been acting off lately... have you noticed? Almost as edgy as Reid. Apparently she took him to the hospital on Monday just to make sure he was healthy and nothing was wrong with him," Emily responded as JJ pushed open the door to Starbucks, letting the pregnant woman pass before she followed her into the bustling coffee shop. JJ looked deep in thought as the two stood in the line, Emily's gloved hands resting on her bump. "He fine... despite the fact that he was ill before he came off, he's been given a clean bill of health."

"And she is still acting weird?" JJ asked softly, causing Emily to nod. JJ frowned speculatively, looking up at the coffee board. A small thought occurred to her, and she looked at Emily with wide eyes. "You know, the other day she asked me if anyone had left me any weird packages or mail at my home. I didn't think it was odd at the time... you know Chris, she worries about everything when she has too much thinking space, but now... it feels like she was genuinely concerned... she was really scared."

"Have you received anything odd in the mail?" Emily asked inquisitively, and JJ shook her head, eyebrows furrowing over her blue eyes as she thought about the mail she had received in the last few weeks. Nothing stood out to her particularly, just some bills and letters from her mother, as well as a few late birthday cards for Henry from her extended family and Will's in New Orleans.

"Wouldn't Chris have told us if she had received anything to the mail, right? She wouldn't keep it a secret," JJ frowned, licking her lips, unsure of herself. The blond turned to Emily, her eyebrows heavy and lips pursed while Emily had an equally severe expression, chewing on the inside of her cheek. JJ exhaled heavily, her shoulders drooping and she looked out the doorway. "Do you want to call Garcia and tell her while I get a cab?"

"I think it's best..." Emily trailed off, reaching for her phone as the two women separated from the line, and moved out of Starbucks. Both had feelings of uneasiness in their stomachs, and Emily's expression was grave as she called Garcia, waiting impatiently for the vibrantly dressed, eccentric blond to pick up. JJ went to the curb, putting her hand up to hail a cab with a determined look on her face as she tapped her foot.

Chris looked over her shoulder where Eva was playing with her toy kitchen, pretending to do the washing up, and Anna was doing Mathematics at the breakfast table, her small tongue sticking out between her lips. In his high chair, James dipped his hands into his bowl of fruit purée. He shoved his fingers in his mouth, sucking on them delightfully and smearing the purée all around his cheeks.

"Anna, sweetheart, why don't you play with your sister? You have already done three pages of sums," Chris urged, not wanting Anna to become completely absorbed by the world of smarts. Anna looked at her blankly, and then over at Eva who was putting a large plastic tomato on a plate with plastic bacon and a plastic fried egg. She frowned slightly, not understanding why she had to play with Eva, but shrugging sliding off the chair and over to Eva, who beamed at her.

Sighing thankfully, she turned her attention to Reid as he bounced into the kitchen, his eyes wide and a large grin on his face as he came towards her. Chris rose her eyebrows as he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her and she giggled before kissing back, her hands on his cheeks. "Okay... not that I don't appreciate it, by why-oh-why are you in such a good mood, Doctor Reid?"

"I haven't had a headache in nearly a week and four days. I was able to read five books this morning alone," he told her happily and she smiled softly at him, pressing her lips to his gently. Pulling back, she rose and eyebrow at the forest green checked shirt he wore, and rolled up dark-green trousers, exposing his mismatched green and red socks. He pouted at the look and she chuckled, pecking his cheek playfully.

"You look dashing, sweetheart," she assured him, trying to joke when a feeling of sudden irrational fear overcame her, and she moved to the sink, pulling the plug and draining the dirty water from it. Her eyes avoided his prying gaze, as she fiddled with the knot in her grey knot sweater which she wore over a sandwash tank-top and dark denim stretch skinny jeans. Taking a deep breath as subtly as possible, she turned to Reid, smiling widely. "Will you please watch them for me, I need to... get something from my computer."

"Of course... no problem..." he said slowly, and Chris gave him a strained smile, before she strode from the kitchen. Reid looked over at Anna and Eva, who where blinking innocently, before Eva held up a plate of plastic food to him with a glowing expression. Anna pretended to stir something in the green saucepan, blowing on the imaginary liquid to play along with Eva's game.

"Daddy, you come and eat now!" Eva insisted, coming over to him and grabbing his hand. She dragged him over to their play kitchen, and pushing him onto a chair, allowing him to look down into the hallway and see Chris standing at the bottom of the stairs, one hand covering her eyes as she tried to build up her courage to actually move up them to her desk. Then, her steps heavy, she moved up the stairs, a look of dread in her eyes.

Chris swallowed as she came to the desk, biting her lip before she quickly sat down and unlocked the drawer containing the DVD and the other mail that she had found around the house. In the last two weeks she had received three more envelopes, each more unnerving than the one before, if it was possible.

Three days after the DVD, the envelope had been filled with newspaper clippings from her family's murder and her apparent death. In the one after that there was a photograph of her family from when she was young, with each person in it crossed out other than her, a circle drawn around her face. In the one following had just been a DVD with images of the team, and their families, and then the word's 'I'm Watching' at the end.

It was making her paranoid... seriously paranoid, and she was scared to be in her own home alone. The ex-profiler in her though was there in the back of her mind, telling her to stay, because with every envelope he left, the UnSub would reveal more about himself. She needed to find out if anyone else in the team had received any mail like this, but it had only recently hit her that if the person giving her these packages was 'watching' than they would know that she no longer worked for the BAU.

Which meant they weren't targeting the team directly. They were targeting their families. But she had no way of contacting the rest of the teams family to verify this couldn't do so without alerting the team and she didn't want to do that until she had built a solid preliminary profile about the UnSub. They were already stretched thin as it was. Reid wasn't returning to the BAU until Monday, Morgan had returned the Monday of the previous week as had JJ, but still was running low on energy. Emily was only working point in the office and Hotch was so focused on Emily and Jack that cases weren't their strong points at the moment.

She knew Reid's reason for taking so much time off. Aside from the two weeks of time off for his concussion, he was avoiding the office for one main reason. Jason Gideon. This she knew because at least four times the man had turned up on her doorstep, asking to see the Doctor, who steadfast refused to see him and wouldn't leave the study until Gideon left. Chris ran her hands through her dark hair, shoving the clippings, picture and DVD's into the brown, unmarked envelope she kept them in, dropping it back into the drawer.

She couldn't think about this now. Not while her mind was so distracted by other things. Things like the anniversary of Haley Hotchner's death. Three years exactly had passed since that day, and it weighed heavily on her for reasons that she had never shared with anyone else, and likely never would. A small voice snapped her out of her thoughts, as Anna called for her from down the stairs.

"Mommy! Auntie Penny, Auntie Emily and Auntie JJ are here. They say they want to ask you some questions," the girl called up the stairs, her voice surprisingly loud for someone so small. Chris furrowed her eyebrows, and moved out of her study to look down the stairs where Emily and JJ stood behind Anna, who's eyes blinked innocently behind black rimmed glasses on the bottom step. Garcia had already gone to the kitchen to smother her beloved God-daughter with kisses.

"Oh... hey guys... I'll be down in a moment," Chris informed them, and JJ hummed in response, while Emily narrowed her eyes on the other brunette. Reid distracted them however,when Chris disappeared into her office and locked the drawer. He smiled at the two, holding a filthy James in his arms. The boy had decided that his food would be much more useful all over his body, than actually in his mouth.

"Emily... JJ... what are you doing here?" he questioned, eyebrows furrowed over his eyes as James went to reach for his hair. JJ couldn't help but coo over him, remembering how Henry used to do the same thing, and how messy they were as babies. Emily replied that they were there to talk to Chris, and Reid bobbed his head, before blinking as James bat his cheek, covering it in fruit purée.

Reid didn't react, looking at Emily with a concerned expression. "How are Hotch and Jack? I know they can't be taking today easy," Reid questioned innocently. Emily exhaled heavily, thinking of Jack's distraught face when she had gone out that morning. It had almost been to hard to bear, leaving him while he was so upset, but she didn't want to intrude on Hotch and Jack's day of memorial for Hotch's best friend and ex-wife, and Jack's mother.

"They are... dealing... it's hitting Jack hard this year. But then, it hits hard every year for the poor boy. Aaron... he just isn't talking to me," Emily told them, and Reid went to offer his condolences when James stuck a hand in his mouth, saying 'Yummy, Daddy!' happily, wanting the attention to be back on him. Anna looked up at the adults from the floor, her lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed, before she disappeared back down to the kitchen. She was a genius... but grown ups were really weird...

_-11:36am (Washington, D.C)- _

"Hello Mommy... I got you some of the flowers that you really like," Jack mumbled, setting the pink wrapped daffodils onto the ground in front of the gravestone. Hotch and Jessica hung back, allowing the boy to talk to his mother alone. "I know they are your favourite cause Daddy says so. He says that he used to get you them a lot. I got them at the special store, that Mommy Emmy took me to."

He sniffed, blinking as he looked at the black marble. "Mommy Emmy's really nice to me. I bet you would have been best friends. She's having two babies, and they are going to be my brothers or sisters. It's really cool," he said, a big smile on his face, before it fell. "I wish you would get to see them... It's been three years since the bad man hurt you... but he's gone now, so that means we are all not in trouble, and Daddy says you are the most safest."

"I wish that you could come home now, but Daddy says that you are in heaven, so you can't... but I really want you to, so maybe one day I can come visit you, yeah? I watch the cool videos you left every night before I go to bed... Sometimes I have nightmares and when I do I watch them to get the bad men away, even though Daddy can beat them all up!" he said, a large smile on his face, as he sat on the grass. He wore a small suit, with a crisp white shirt and a tie. His lip trembled.

"I started First Grade this year, and it's really cool... I made a friend and his name is Martin and he's got two Mommy's just like me... We learned how to write out names this week. It's really good and I can write my entire name! I was the first in my class to do it," Jack sniffed, wiping his eyes on his sleeve as they started to tear up. "I joined the football team as well! But I miss playing with you... Daddy's not as good as you are..."

Hotch swallowed the lump in his throat, as Jack's arm rose again to his eyes, rubbing furiously at the tears. He wanted to move forward and comfort his son, but he knew that Jack needed to talk to his mother. Jack needed to remember her.

"I learned how to ride my bike. Anna, she's Uncle Spencer's daughter, learned with me. I fell a lot but I didn't cry, not once...Daddy say's it's alright to cry, but I don't want to... 'Cause I know you don't like it when I cry, and I'm big now... can't you see how big I am?" he asked hopefully, before he hiccuped and sniffed, a bubble of sadness in his stomach. His hazel eyes streamed with tears, his cheeks red.

"I wish I could see you Mommy... I really miss you... please can I come see you? Cause I don't like not getting to. I wish you could come home... but I know you can't... I still leave my light on in my bedroom for you, just in case you come back... but you never do..." the boy trailed off, unable to speak as he was overcome by tears and started to cry. Hotch moved to his side, and knelt down next to Jack, wrapping his arms around him as the boy wailed into his suit jacket.

Jessica sucked in on her bottom lip, silent tears streaming down her face as she gazed at the father and son. Hotch lifted Jack from the ground, and moved over to Jessica, who held out her arms to take him. Jack groaned loudly, as he detached his arms from Hotch's neck and clung onto Jessica, hiccuping as he buried his face into his aunt's neck. She smield sadly at him, jerkign her head over to the car and whispering that they would be over there.

"Thank you," Hotch muttered, and she just nodded her head in response, as Hotch turned back to Haley's gravestone, hands in his coat pockets. He was silent for a moment, before he exhaled heavily, shaking his head. "God, Haley... I miss you so much... I have no idea what I'm doing. I miss having my best friend there to tell me what to do, fix the problems. That's what you were. You were my solution. You were my best friend."

"Emily's pregnant... we're having twins. Quite the change from when I was last here, I know. Don't tell her, but she has more mood swings that an angry hippo," Hotch smirked, but there was a sadness in his eyes that caused his entire form to be heavy, shoulders slumped and hands falling to his sides. "It doesn't seem fair that I am happy while you are... after what happened to you, Haley. It just... I just feel like I'm betraying you."

Licking his lip, the gold letters glinted in the sunlight, his hands going into his coat pockets again as a cool breeze swept through the area. "You were a great woman, Haley, a great mother. You and Emily, you are so alike it's astounding, both so strong and so determined. But you are both so different as well and I have no idea what I'm going to do. It feels wrong that I should be enjoying my life, when you can't."

He chuckled humourlessly, looking up at the sky. "I can hear your voice. Telling me that I need to be happy, to teach Jack how to love. I'm trying... God knows I am... and I love Emily so much... it's killing me to think I could make the same mistakes I made with you, with her. I know that everything I can't teach Jack, she can. She's like you in that way. So ready to give her heart to him, to be there for him."

Hotch shook his head, his brow low over his eyes and a scowl on his lips. "I'm so sorry, Haley... I never meant for any of this to happen to you... I still don't want to believe it did. You were the first woman I ever loved, and my best friend and sometimes just getting up in the morning is hard. Jack... he looks so much like you...you would be so proud of him. He is so smart, and so strong, just like you. He adores Emily... It's funny, he knew I loved her even before I did."

A light wind caused the last remaining leaves on the trees around to rustle softly, and Hotch smirked. It almost sounded like she was laughing at him, and in the back of his mind he could hear her saying 'Of course he did'. The sound of footsteps approaching caused him to look up, and he saw the black clad form of Gideon approaching, coming to a stop beside him.

"Jason," Hotch greeted, his voice quiet and Gideon nodded curtly beside him, looking down at Haley's gravestone. He bent down and set the bouquet of white lilies he held in front of it, smiling sadly at the stone before he straightened and looked at Hotch. "Thank you for coming," Hotch stated, and Gideon shrugged a shoulder, looking a Hotch with a gracious expression.

"Haley was a remarkable woman. My only regret is that I was unable to attend her funeral. I thought that it would be... a distraction from the true meaning of the day," he informed Hotch calmly. He looked around, expecting to see Emily nearby, supporting Hotch, and was mildly surprised to see she wasn't there. "No Emily?" he questioned, and Hotch shook his head in reply.

"I... I thought it would be best if it was just Jack, Jessica and I. Emily is with JJ and Garcia today, shopping for maternity clothes," Hotch declared, and Gideon hummed, his head bobbing before he looked away from Hotch, putting his hands in his pockets as a chill crept up over him. Hotch furrowed his eyebrows. "I'm not ready to let her into this... I love her, but this is something I need to keep to myself. She has already taken over so much of my life."

"Women... they rule the world and they just haven't figured it out yet. When they do, we are all screwed," Gideon quoted, an understanding smirk on his lips as Hotch chuckled and concurred. His own fiancée was very much like Emily in the sense that she had managed to dig her way into him and take over his thoughts. For the life of him, he didn't understand how she had taken over his life so, but truthfully he wouldn't change it for the world.

"Have you spoken to Reid since you returned?" Hotch asked, genuinely curious. It was sad that the relationship between the two men, the father/son bond that hey had shared was so severed. He could understand it... Reid had been through a lot and losing Gideon had damaged him nearly more than losing his own father had. Gideon had been Reid's mentor, friend, counsellor and father all in one, and when he had left it had torn that part of his world apart.

The team had came in around him, Morgan becoming his friend, Emily his counsellor and Hotch his mentor, but nothing could replace Gideon in his eyes as the man who had been the father he had lost, and then lost again in the same way.

"I have been to see him at his home, but he has avoided me every time. I did meet the lovely Chris, however," Gideon stated, and Hotch chuckled at the stone of evident amusement in Gideon's voice. Chris was a... person that you got used to, with her biting sarcasm and random habits. "And the children. A rather dysfunctional group. Anna is most definitely her fathers daughter."

"Eva and James have a little of him in them, I've noticed as well. I can only hope that my own twins are as little like me as they are to Spencer though," Hotch mused. Gideon rose an eyebrow, and put a hand on Hotch's shoulder.

"If they are anything like you then they will become some of the best people I know, Aaron," Gideon assured him. There was conviction in his voice that was impossible for Hotch to argue with, and he didn't respond to the statement, turning back to the black marble with a brooding expression. Gideon swallowed silently, his eyes wizened and aged, looking every bit the old man he was sure he was. "She would be proud of you Aaron, for going on with your life, for falling in love again."

Hotch exhaled heavily, and looked at Gideon. "It's not falling in love again if I've always been in love with her," he said slowly, and Gideon didn't say anything, as Hotch turned and walked back to Jessica and Jack, lips pursed. Gideon looked at the golden letters, and smiled dryly.

"No, I don't suppose it is."

_-13:08pm (Washington, D.C)-_

"Would you for once give me a straight answer? Please? You have me begging here for a reason to stay and you don't even seem to care, Dave. Why on earth should I stay with you if this is how you treat me?" the usually soft, complacent voice of Ashley Seaver ripped through David Rossi's apartment, sad blue eyes furious and blonde hair mussed. The peppered haired man sat on the couch, looking down at the floor with his hand clasped and elbows resting on his knees.

Ashley stared at him, and took a shaky breath, regaining some of her composure as she turned from him. She scrubbed her face with her hands, her lips pursing. "I can't handle this, Dave... you push and you pull and you expect far too much from me. You leave me because you think you are too old for me, and then come back when you start to feel frustrated with the world. It's not fair."

"It's fair when you do this to me though? You ask me for things I can't give, Ashley, and run away from me when you get scared instead of telling me why you are scared so I can help you," he retorted, looking at her now and standing. Ashley gaped at him, her emotions bubbling as she locked her jaw, clamping it shut and glaring at him with such iciness that he hadn't seen in her in months.

"Oh, do not even go there, Dave. I did tell you why I was scared, and you brushed it off like it was nothing. That is why I broke it off, not for any other reason. Even then I was still stupid enough to come back, though honestly, I'm forgetting why at this very moment," Ashley spat, her anger getting the better of her, explosive and radiant. Her chest heaved and her hands were on her denim, flare jeans-clad hips. "And Dave, I didn't ask for something you couldn't give. I wanted to tell people about our relationship and you refused."

"Because it was none of their business, Ashley! They don't need to know that I'm shacking up with the beautiful young woman that used to be part of the BAU team," he argued and realisation dawned on her, hands dropping to her side as she stared at him. There was no denying that between the two FBI Agents there was a fire that made them either fall subject to the passion in their relationship, or tore at them until they ripped one another to shreds in harsh words and cruel actions.

They would either break each other's hearts, or collapse into bed in a heap of breathy moans, frantic touches and all-out undeniable lustful thrusts of their forms. They were passionate people, and it was that passion that fuelled every argument they had, and had started their relationship after her departure from the BAU. However, that didn't change the fact that with every argument they had, Ashley was left feeling like a petulant child by his constant referrals to her age.

"Why can't you just let it go, Dave? Why is my age such a big issue to you? I'm thirty-one, old enough to make my own choices and I shouldn't have to justify my actions to you Dave. I chose to be with you, even though you insist on making me feel like a child at times," she sighed, her shoulders slumping and a dejected expression on her face. Rossi ran a hand on his face, his mind flashing back to each of his relationships with his ex-wives. That expression almost always came before the 'I want a divorce' in his experience.

"Do you even want me here?" she asked tiredly, her eyes miserable, tears brimming in them as she looked up at him. Almost automatically, he moved to her, needing to comfort her and pressed his lips to her forehead, cradling the back of her head with one hand and wrapping the other around her waist over her cream knitted aran cable jumper. She closed her eyes, a lone tear sliding down her pale cheek as she shuddered in his arms.

"Ashley, the only thing in this world I want, is you here with me," he told her, and she looked at him, blue eyes sparkling.

"I love you, kid. I'm sorry if it seems like I don't, but I'm not very good with this whole relationship thing. It's hard for me to accept things, especially when they are going well," he said softly, his breath warm on her face and she inhaled deeply.

"I just want to be able to tell people that you are my partner... I'm so sick of all this secrecy," Ashley breathed, resting her head in the crook of his neck and wrapping her arms around him, wanting to feel close to him. Rossi exhaled heavily, resting his chin on top of her head.

"Do you really want to tell people you are dating the man that put your father in prison for life?" he questioned, his tone light and gently joking. Ashley closed her eyes, lickign her lips as she chuckled softly.

"Didn't Chris end up marrying the guy who killed her father? As far as I am concerned, I don't think it is really an issue," Ashley replied softly, both serious and joking. She looked at him, a small smile on her lips and he kissed her softly, his hands sliding down over her back and pulling her closer to him. For a moment she forgot herself, the stubble from his unshaven face scratching at her sensitive skin, causing her to giggle softly.

His nose rubbed against hers, and she pressed soft butterfly kisses along his jaw before his hand moved to her cheek and guided her lips back to his with a smirk, devouring her lips with his own. She moved him backwards, until his calf's hit the edge of the couch and he sat down, pulling her into his lap. She straddled him, lips moving against his hungrily, his hands roaming over her body eagerly as he grabbed hold of the hem of her jumper and pulled it up over her head, exposing the cream corset she wore underneath.

He paused to admire the sight of her body, breasts encased perfectly in the corsets supporting cups. Between, fitting snugly was the 'A' pendant that he had bought, disposed of, and retrieved earlier. His fingers lifted it, and she smiled softly, as he used the chain to pull her lips back to his. "You, sweetheart, are going to give me a heart attack," Rossi told her and she flushed, her breasts and neck staining pink.

With no effort at all, his lifted her and carried her trough the apartment, to their bedroom only to freeze at the doorway, his eyes widening. "What the hell," he rumbled, and her jaw dropped as her feet his the floor, hands covering her mouth as she looked into the previously impeccably painted bedroom. Rossi quickly grabbed her hand, pulling her away from it. "Don't look in there Ashley, it is nothing you want to see."

"Dave..." she argued, her eyes wide as he shut the door, holding up a hand.

"Just call Aaron, alright? Trust me on this, sweetheart, you don't want to go in there," he instructed and she hesitated, before nodding, going over to couch and lifting her jumper back over her head. She untucked her hair from under her collar, letting it fall around her shoulders and then reached for the phone, dialling the number for Aaron Hotchner's cellphone from memory.

Rossi watched her move into the kitchen, frowning before he opened the door to the bedroom again, his eyebrows going heavy over his eyes as he looked at it. The walls were covered in newspaper clippings and crime scene pictures and pictures of Ashley and her father from when she was younger and the images from the court cases against him. It was a horrific murial of the Redmond Ripper and what he did to his victims.

The bed sheets were covered in thick red liquid, which he could only guess was either paint or blood, and the windows were wide open, with no indication as to how whoever had done this could have gotten up three stories and into the bedroom where the windows were always locked. He looked at the wall across from the bed, that the door was on and scowled darkly.

The words 'I'm Watching' were plastered across the light painted wall, still wet as the red dribbled down to the floor.

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed, lets get to 110 reviews :) <strong>

**Thanks for reading!**


	23. 25 November 2012 Afternoon

**A/N: This is a Hotch/Emily story.**

**Okay, I know it took a while, and I am SOOOO sorry :( But A lot happened, I went back to school, I left school, I got into university :) YES! I GOT INTO UNIVERSITY! GO ME :) Which means I'm going to be super busy the next two weeks so updates might be a little slow :( Sorry :( xx**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter, we got a little more Hotly in it, and some developments ;) And also, a quick question, who do you think (or want) Gideon's fiancée to e? I won't tell yo if it is correct or not, but I really want to know who you think it is, whether an OC or a previous character on the show... ;P**

**Please enjoy, and review :) Lets get to 120-125 reviews :) It'll be awesome! **

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><p><strong>Alteration<strong>

_25 November 2012  
><em>_-14:27pm (Washington, D.C)-_

Rossi hadn't had so many people in his apartment since long before the end of his third marriage, and there had never been children in any of his homes. At all, not even at Christmas. Now his apartment was full to the brim with people. Chris was pushing Anna and Eva to the couch, handing them a book each as she balanced James on her hip, the one year old sucking on his pacifier as he looked shyly around all the adults in the room.

Ashley had an almost wistful expression on her face as she made tea and coffee for everyone, wanting to be of some use as Rossi was refusing to let her near the room. Chris looekd over at her, feeling the woman's perpetually sad light blue eyes on her back. Apprehensively, Ashley smiled at her, unsure of her standing with the mother of three, and after a moment of consideration, she gave a gracious look back, gesturing her head softly.

This small interaction was completely missed by and oblivious Reid, who seemed flustered and at the same time completely in control as he fussed over his daughters. He gave them heady warning to stay away from where the adults were, instructing Anna to keep a close eye on her siblings. The four year old looked at Eva, who was colouring in the pages of her Disney Princess colouring book happily, and James who was playing with building blocks and a jigsaw, before nodding quietly and looking down at her book.

JJ was watching Ashley like a hawk, her eyes fixated on the pendant around Ashley's neck as she put the pieces of Rossi's unusual, avoiding behaviour together in her mind to come to the realisation of what he had been hiding. Emily was looking at Hotch, the man's expression severe as Rossi talked to him in low tones, his eyes occasionally flicking over to Ashley and back to Rossi. His whispering were rapid and harsh, eyes shadowed as they stood guard at the bedroom door where Morgan and Gideon were inside, documenting the scene.

Garcia set up her laptop at the coffee table opposite the Reid children, lips pursed as her thoughts raced, wondering what on earth was going on not only with Ashley and Rossi, but the entire team. Someone was tormenting her poor babies, and for that, they were going to pay dearly. Her expression darkened as her thoughts strayed to a dark place, before she shook herself, feeling slightly scared of herself.

Emily licked her dry, slightly chapped lips, hand on her bump as her temperature soared, feeling far too hot in the apartment with so many people, and such thick clothing. It was alright for outside, but indoors, where the heating was on high to block out the cold weather, she was perspiring quickly, fanning herself with her hand. Instinctively, Hotch shut down his heated whispers with Rossi and moved to her, concern lighting in his brooding eyes, lips pursed.

"Do you need some air? Would you like to go outside?" he asked, voice heavy and strong. She shook her head, but smiled softly at him, feeling calmed by his concern. His distance had put her on edge, and added to her already turbulent hormonal mood swings and the weight of Jack's misery that morning on her shoulders, she was feeling both exhausted and completely miserable. He put his hand's on her arms, eyebrows furrowed. "Are you sure?"

"Aaron, I'm fine, it's just really warm... I'll stand by an open window for a bit. We need to talk about this UnSub," Emily assured him, her eyes glowing as she looked at him, before flicking over to Ashley who was holding James now, Chris raising an eyebrow as she helped Ashley settle James who was looking from Chris to Ashley wildly, his eyes confused and scared slightly.

Gideon and Morgan left the room, Gideon's expression contemplative and Morgan's disturbed as he removed his gloves. Gideon looked at Hotch and Rossi. "This is the work of an incredibly organised UnSub. It's obvious that he has no hesitance into coming into your home while he knows you are here and carrying out his plan," he toned, running a hand through his hair as Hotch stood protectively over Emily, severity pouring from him as Rossi concurred.

"Definitely sadistic. He's trying to psychologically torture me by endangering Ashley and attacking Ashley directly by highlighting the horror of her childhood," Rossi continued, eyes whirling dangerously with a mix of apprehension and disgust as they flickered over to Ashley. The blonde was listening to their conversation, silently, feeling incredibly out of place and not for the first time as she stood at the sidelines.

Emily looked sharply over at Chris with a raised eyebrow, a look so easily read that Chris actually winced because of it. The brunette shifted uncomfortably, under the harsh demand of her stare before she exhaled heavily and reached into her bag, pulling out the brown envelope she kept the clippings and DVD in.

Reid stared at her, his eyebrows knitting together with confusion at the guilty look on her face. She whispered 'sorry' to him, before turning to the rest of the team. "I've been receiving these..." she trailed off, searching for the right word as she looked at her children. "...gifts, for the last two weeks. Ever since you came back from that case in Carlington Falls, with the Clinical Lycanthropy."

"Why didn't you tell us, Chris? This is a potential threat to not only you but our entire team. If you are receiving threatening mail, than you tell us and we find the person doing it," Hotch berated her, and the woman looked at the floor under her feet shamefully, as Gideon looked through the envelope, lips pursed. Emily put a hand on his chest, stopping Hotch from going to shake Chris in frustration. His protective instinct from when Chris had been in danger from her own father had reared their heads, ending up in him berating her for not coming to them sooner.

"She's already explained it to JJ and I, Aaron. It's useless to push it now," Emily said softly, trying to soothe his obvious temper and Chris looked at her thankfully, not sure she could handle the disappointment that she could feel radiating from Hotch as well as from Rossi. That, and the look of absolute betrayal that the ever sensitive Reid was supporting at that very moment, the armour of his intelligence collapsing as he began to connect her behaviour for the last few weeks.

"What is on the DVD, Mrs Re... Chris," Gideon corrected the use of her name, still finding it rather odd that the boy he had left had grown into a man with his own children and a wife. She had strictly told him, on the very few times he had met her previously, that she was not 'Mrs Reid' she was just 'Chris', and that was how he was supposed to address her. Chris's eyes flashed to Reid, a look of anguish behind the hazel irises before she spoke.

"Tobias Hankel..." she muttered, and wrapped her arms around her form as flashes of the torture Reid had been subjected to coursed through her mind. Reid moved backwards, staring in absolute horror at his wife, and then the DVD. There were few secrets between them, but the torture that Hankel had subjected him to was one of them. She knew the main gist, that he was tortured, and that he had a drug problem afterwards, but he had never been specific about it, given her any details. None of the team had.

Honestly, Chris had been perfectly fine with that. She really hadn't wanted to know, the very thought of it enough to torment her dreams for weeks.

Emily moved from Hotch's side, and even though she was boiling, wrapped her arms around Reid supportively. He fidgeted, and then allowed the moment of weakness, holding onto Emily as tight as he could without panicking he would hurt her babies. Empathy and remorse clouded JJ's features as she looked at Reid, that old feeling of self-condemnation slowly seeping over her, for letting him separate from her and get caught by Hankel.

"The DVD was left in my kitchen, with my title on the envelope and only the DVD inside. I... I was in the living room with Paws when it came. The UnSub didn't even care about my dogs and he was quiet enough to get into the kitchen and leave it without me noticing, which is near impossible," Chris explained to Gideon, Rossi, Morgan and Hotch. The look on Morgan's face was dark, ready to kill anyone who even thought about threatening his team, his family.

It had happened far too much in the last few years for him not to feel so angry. Garcia looked at him worriedly, but then exhaled in relief as he forced himself to calm down, breathing deeply. The last few weeks she had spent with him trying to relax him. They had talked through a lot of things, both her and Morgan's fears, the fury that brewed in him whenever they had a case, the demons that lurked under the surface.

"This feels far to much like the Fisher King case," Morgan rumbled, and Garcia's eyes widened as she protested that no one had hacked her databases her eyes narrowing, as Gideon looked over to her suspiciously. Chris furrowed her eyebrows, and then looked over at Hotch, a serious, urgent expression on her face.

"Who took over the teams health after I left?" she asked, her tone demanding, and Hotch levelled her with a look, responding 'I did'. Chris hummed, as she moved over to her bag and rifled through it, only to groan. "These... warnings, they could be classed as traumatic events, things which would be registered in our files, correct? I always kept two copies of the files, one on the computer, and one as a hard copy, in case the databases went down."

"I never received any hard copies of the files," Hotch stated, completely stoic, and Chris furrowed her eyebrows, apprehension on her features. She had left the hard copies on Hotch's desk, with a note address to Hotch, in an large envelope. None of the files were named and the first pages of the files were completely blank to make it seem like they weren't important, should anyone who wasn't Hotch open them.

"I left them on your desk, Hotch. In an envelope, with your name on it. You should have got them," Chris pointed out, as realisation started to dawn over her, her breathing quickening. "Oh Lord... this is my fault... I knew I should have given you those files in person. I'm so stupid!" She slapped her forehead with her hand and then winced sharply, in her mind only emphasizing her own stupidity. "Those files could be with anyone..."

"What about the security cameras? The person who took the files is probably on them. I could run a facial recognition on them, see what I can dig up," Garcia suggested, moving over to the group from her laptop. Behind her glasses, her eyes flickered over each of them before landing on the DVD still held by Gideon. "I can break down that DVD as well, see if I can get the date and time the video was added to the disk, maybe the location is was added? But I need to go into the office to do that. My laptop doesn't have that sort of technology."

"I think that is honestly the safest place for any of us to be. This UnSub... he has no qualms about coming into our homes while we are in them. He might not have done anything to us yet, but now we know about him... None of us have any idea what he is capable of," Emily shuddered, the temperature that had been ravaging her suddenly dropping. She rubbed her arms, and Hotch took of his suit jacket, handing it to her silently.

Emily's lips turned up in a small smile. Even when she thought he wasn't paying her any attention, he always picked up on when something was wrong, when she needed him. She knew that even when she wasn't looking at him, talking to him, he would come to her if he thought he had to, or if he needed to see her himself. The little things, like him giving her his jacket, knowing that she was cold, when he wasn't looking at her, it just reaffirmed that she loved him in her mind.

It reminded her that he loved her as well...

-_16:34pm (Quantico, Virginia)- _

"This just isn't possible. I should have gotten something but there is absolutely nothing and I can't believe this! My software is perfect and I created it... there is nothing wrong with my software... right?" Garcia's eyebrows knit together as she rambled loudly, and she bit down on her pink painted lip before shaking the thought away. There was no way there was something wrong with her software. It was near perfection, she had made sure of it.

"Baby-girl, you just gotta calm down. If you start losing your head, the rest of us aren't going to last very long," Morgan told her supportively. He hovered behind her, dark skinned hand on her shoulder, wearing a black long-sleeved t-shirt with dark denim jeans and heavy boots, in complete contrast to the bright colourfulness of her outfit. She looked up at him, and he gave her a soft smile that he reserved for only her. "You'll find something, beautiful. You just need to focus."

She gazed at him, before nodding her head and cracking her fingers. "You're right, I need to channel my inner goddess of awesomeness, my love. Which means you need to shoo, my hunk of chocolate love, cause your utterly delicious presence is a delightful distraction," Garcia chirped, forcing her fears and worries to the back of her mind. Morgan chuckled and pressed a kiss to her forehead, muttering 'That's my girl' softly.

Morgan turned to leave, but Garcia reached out and grabbed hold of his arm, her face morphing into a fearful look. "Derek, can you do me a favour please?" she whispered, and he nodded, responding 'anything' as if it was a fact. He would do anything for her. She was his God-given solace. Garcia swallowed nervously. "Tell me that everything is going to be alright? Please... I can't sit here, and think that this is going to become another Foyet... I just can't."

"Penelope, I promise, I'm not going to let anything happen to you or anyone else on this team. We aren't going to lose anyone. I will die myself before we do, you understand? I love you, baby girl," he reasoned, his voice level, and Garcia peeped, bobbing her head. He gave her a pointed look, reading her behaviour easily and seeing she was still worried. She didn't mention it though, so he turned and left her in her office, Anderson standing guard against his will outside of it.

Garcia sighed heavily, turning back to her screen as her fingers drummed against her keyboard. "That's what I'm afraid of," she mumbled, before she backtracked over the CCTV for the day Chris had left, on who had gone into Hotch's office at every point. There was no CCTV in Hotch's office though, only on the Bullpen, so she had to make due with the limited angles and frames she had of the door to his office.

Morgan strode into the Bullpen, and looked around, his expression dark as he took in his team. Emily was sitting at her desk, a hand on her bump as her fingers thrummed over her desk top, sucking on her bottom lip as she stared over at Hotch and Gideon in Hotch's office. She would normally go up there, and interrupt, try and become part of the discussion, however Hotch and Gideon had fell into an old routine of constant vigilance, minds only on the profile. Her form was visibly tense, eyes troubled and impatient.

Chris was keeping the Reid children, including his God-children, busy in JJ's office, which she had graciously given her after they had started to become restless. She couldn't go home. Now that there was definite proof that there was someone targeting them, her and her family, she couldn't be in their home. It felt ruined... stained by the life she wanted to keep as far away from her home she could. Reid hung around the door, waiting, fidgeting, for her to give him her attention so that they could talk.

Rossi and Ashley were arguing, trying to be quiet and failing, in Rossi's office, the door shut but blinds still open. Morgan couldn't begin to process what they were fighting over, and he honestly didn't care. It wasn't helping them catch the UnSub and they had been exchanging snide jibes at each other since they had decided to leave for the BAU offices in Quantico. Ashley had fought with all she had, but he could see the slump in her shoulders, hear the defeat in her tone and feel the anxiousness that rolled off her in waves from her emotions, from their argument. Morgan knew that Rossi could see it too, his expression softening cautiously as she turned away from him.

JJ was on the phone to Will in Reid's seat, the overwhelming need to hear his voice, make sure he was alright and that her baby was safe. The glow around her, one of complete happiness as she spoke to her son. Emily's eyes drifted from where she gazed into Hotch's office, to JJ, and she looked gracious, the urge to call Jack at Jessica's home sneaking up on her. Today was hard enough for the poor boy, without Hotch having to be away from him on possibly one of the worst days of his life.

"You alright, Em?" Morgan questioned as he sat down in his desk chair. He ran his hands over his head, and she tilted hers, a calm look on her face. He wondered honestly how she was keeping together like she was. Emily had always attributed her lack of reaction to a heightened ability to compartmentalise, but there was something else with her. She was the crutch that the team leaned on, always there when they needed her and staying strong for them all when she had to be and even when she didn't have to be.

"I'm fine... I'm worried about Jack, honestly," Emily confided, hand circling her bump gently. Morgan hummed, not saying anything in response as Emily's thoughts danced around her head. "I just... the most traumatic thing in Jack's life, was Haley's death. The idea that someone would use that against Jack and Aaron... it's just so infuriating. I wish there was something I could do to keep Jack safe, but if this UnSub targets Jack, then there is nothing I can do unless I'm with him..."

She trailed off, her eyes brimming with tears, and before she could stop herself, she burst out crying. "It's just not fair," she sobbed, her face falling into her hands. Morgan's dark eyes widened, as the hormonal woman wailed in front of him, her emotions going haywire as her hormones ran rampant through her. Morgan wheeled his chair closer to her, puttign a hand on her back and rubbing it as he looked at JJ.

He had seen women crying all his life. His mother, despite her attempts to hide it after his Dad had died, his sisters... every time the broke up with one of their deadbeat boyfriends. When he left for Virginia, they had cried. So upset women was not something that he was unused to. A crying Emily, however, was something he was unused to. "It's alright, Em'... I don't thin anyone would judge you for going to be with Jack. He's as much your son as he is Hotch's."

JJ quickly moved over to them as well, worry evident on her face as she knelt beside Emily's chair, her hand on the older woman's knee. "What's going on? Emily, talk to me," she urged, her voice soft and sparkling eyes imploring. Emily waved a hand, gulping in air as she let out a strained cry of 'I want to go home'. JJ gave Morgan a pointed stare, mouthing at him to go and get Hotch, who was already sensing a commotion and turning his attention out of the windows to his office with a brooding expression.

The dark-skinned man instantly took the opportunity to escape, and left the pair in the bullpen as JJ wrapped her arms around Emily, making soothing noises. "I know it's hard to be away from them at times like this... trust me, Emily, I know... it comes with being a mother... but right now the only thing we can do it find the person doing this..." JJ breathed, and Emily stared at her with puffy eyes and a red nose, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I don't... I don't know how to do this... separating myself... from all of it, that's easy... but I can't stop thinking about Jack, JJ...I'm so scared that... that something is going to happen to him," she hiccuped, and JJ tilted her head, wiping away Emily's tears with her thumb and smiling graciously at her. Emily's stomach felt like lead, heavy and empty, and her temperature was soaring again, making her feel like she was on fire with her overwrought emotions. "How do you do it, Jayje?"

"I spend every moment I can with Henry, telling him that I love him and... I cry a lot... on Will," JJ replied, her eyes flickering to the now urgently moving Hotch as he strode from his office and headed towards them, determination in every stride, shoulder tense with concern. Emily sniffed, her own dark eyes following JJ's. Her entire form slumped in relief and misery as Hotch neared. JJ stepped out of the way, allowing Hotch access to the mother of his children silently.

He was surprisingly tender, JJ surmised. The Hotch she knew was rife with authoritativeness, cold and domineering, but the Hotch that she was seeing now was calm, loving and just... he was just sweet. He crouched down between her legs, keeping eye contact with Emily and cupping her cheek. His thumb stroked smoothly over her cheekbone, wiping away her stray tears and his eyebrows furrowed heavily over his hazel eyes.

"I want to go home, Aaron... I want to see Jack," Emily whispered, her voice breathy as she looked at him pleadingly. Hotch frowned, before exhaling heavily and pressing his lips to her forehead, it a comforting, soothing motion. Emily shut her eyes, her eyelashes brushing against his cheeks softly before he let go of her face and slid his hands down over her neck, swiping over her shoulders and moving down her sleeved arms to take her hands in his.

"Come on, Emily. I'll take you home," he told her, and she blinked at him, surprised that he wasn't arguing with her. Emily's eyes sparkled, still wet with tears and her nose was slightly red, her face flushed entirely. JJ bit her lip, to stop from smiling at the scene the two were playing out. Emily looked over Hotch's shoulder at her, and Hotch turned his head, noticing the blonds presence. "I suggest that we all return to our homes, or a hotel and get some rest. We will keep regular contact every few hours."

"Yes, Hotch," JJ bobbed her head, arms crossed. She paused before she went to inform the rest of the team, and faced her boss with a set look. "If it's alright, Hotch, I would like to stay... talk with Gideon and Rossi about the UnSub," she informed him, and he concurred as he helped Emily to her feet, an arm slipping around the pregnant woman's waist. Emily gripped onto Hotch's bicep over his suit, giving him a thankful look. "I'll see you tomorrow, Em."

"Thank you, JJ..." she responded, and JJ squeezed her outstretched hand gently, as Hotch led her out of the BAU office. JJ watched the couple leave, before her head turned up to Hotch's office, where Gideon watched with his hands in his pockets, an unreadable expression on his face. The blondes lips pursed, blue eyes shining as she dropped her arms and began to move to the stairs up to the offices.

-_18:09pm (Washington, D.C)- _

She fell asleep in the car as Hotch drove to his apartment, where Jessica was looking after Jack. Hotch was reaching over with one hand, the other on the steering wheel. His fingers were wound around hers, her hold tight on his hand even in her sleep, body tilted towards him and head lolling to the left. She stirred when Hotch pulled up outside the Longhelm building, and when she woke, she found his hazel eyes admiring her as she undid her seatbelt.

Emily smiled gently and he leaned over, pressing his lips to hers softly. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, his eyes remorseful as he cupped her cheek, stroking it with his thumb. Emily furrowed her eyebrows, confused while she stared into his eyes. The feeling that she could get lost in them was ever present, sending her stomach into a swirling pit of butterflies, her face flushing pink.

"Being with you, Emily... its terrifying. After Haley... I forgot how to be happy, and when I am with you, that's all I am. You remind me how to be me, Emily... you remind me how to love, and today... today, I brushed that aside. Something I should never have done, and for that I'm sorry, Emily," Hotch told her, and Emily swallowed a lump in her throat, eyes twinkling as she stared at him. He inhaled heavily.

"I wasn't ready to let you that far in, Emily... and honestly, I'm still not. The last time I let somebody get that close to me, to see me in my weakest moment, they left me and I forgot what it meant to be able to trust a person," he paused, and faced her again, expression deadly serious and brow heavy over his eyes. "I trust you, Emily. I trust you with my life, with my son and with my heart. I respect your decisions and your choices, and while I may question you, I always value your opinion above all others."

Emily's heart thudded rapidly in her chest, the words coming from Hotch's mouth causing her ears to burn and cheeks to turn to a deep burgundy with the barely hidden emotion behind them. She knew he loved her, he had told her so, but this... this was something all together different. Loving a person was easy. Trusting them was one of the hardest things to do in the world.

"I knew it would upset you to not be with Jack today, yet I still asked you not to come. For that, I am sorry, but you must understand that there are some things that... that I need to be able to do with Jack on my own," Hotch stated, and she opened her mouth to argue, eyebrows knitting together and unlawful defiance bubbling in her, malign her defensive. Hotch quickly continued though, not allowing her to talk because this was something he needed to do without her interrupting... or shooting him.

"Because you have taken over my world, Emily. Everything I do, everything I think... it's always about you, and I can't stop it. I don't want to stop it, because I love you so much... I've loved you from the moment you stepped out of that black BMW, wearing a white sun-hat and aviator glasses. It took me forever to get to here, but I'm here, and I'm stuck, because I never want to let you go," he explained, and Emily blinked, her eyes widening at his statement.

"Aaron, that was nearly sixteen years ago... that was when you did the security checks for my mother when I went to Yale," Emily exclaimed, in surprise and Hotch closed his eyes, his head bobbing in concurrence as confusion swept over her features and she put her hands over her bump, over her coat and top. "But... you were still married to Haley then. How on earth could you possibly have been in love with me when you were married to her?"

"I loved Haley, Emily. I loved you as well, but I didn't realise it. Not until you walked into my office with that box and told me about your transfer into the department," Hotch argued gently, and Emily beamed, biting down on her bottom lip to stop herself from screaming irrationally in excitement. The man stared at her, breathing softly. "I'm sorry it took me so long to realise that I loved you, Emily... I really am."

Emily couldn't stop herself, from moving forward, hand grasping the back of his neck and pulling his lips to hers rapidly. It was a frantic kiss, lips meshing together in battling movements as he let himself get swept up by her. He shifted slightly, and she moved over the gear shaft to straddle his legs, one hand sliding down his back and the other holding his face to her, allowing her constant access to those firm lips he had.

Hotch's hands gripped her thighs, moving up slowly to her hips and splaying over them, lifting her top and coat up to get access to the smooth, creamy skin. The kiss wasn't sloppy, or rushed, but urgent and full of passion that had been stored up for far too long. Her tongue slid to of her mouth slightly, along the smooth of his bottom lip, and they parted, allowing the muscle into his mouth. They danced together, moving along one another with a learned grace, swirling and flicking.

She couldn't get enough of the taste of him, peppermint breath mints and a hint of coffee and his secret pleasure, chocolate. It all melded together to make a surprisingly enjoyable taste, making her hunger for him more intensely then ever. Part of her knew it was a bad idea, hooking up with him outside the Longhelm in the front seat where anyone could see but she just needed to feel him, his hands running over her skin, massaging, caressing her.

A low moan slipped from her lips as his hand slid up, the other undoing the tie to her coat and pulling her top up to under her chin. He cupped her over-sensitive breast, kneading the tender flesh and making her shudder as her blood hastened its speed in her veins, every nerve on edge at the sudden attention. She gasped sharply when his thumb slid over her nipple, detaching from his lips and letting her head fall back slightly, eyes sliding shut.

Hotch took the opportunity to latch onto her neck, lips sucking at the silken milky skin hungrily. He traced kisses down the hollow of her throat, al the while pinching, massaging and stroking her breasts. "Aaron.. we... we have to... Jack... people can see..." Emily stumbled over her words, and a low grumble, almost animalistic came from Hotch as his bit down on her shoulder softly, teeth grazing the flesh before he licked it softly and sucked.

Emily trembled, her thoughts cloudy and eyes blurry as she felt her basal heat sore. Her breaths came in sharp, short pants, her stomach fluttering pleasantly. She needed to take control again... she had to... to... stop him... before they got arrested. With a painfully sharp tug, she wrenched herself from him, pushing him back against his seat. He breathed heavily, loudly, and his eyes were lustful taking her in as if she was something he wanted to devour.

Her body throbbed at the very idea.

"We... we have to get to Jack..." she stammered, and taking a moment to calm herself and pulling her top back down. He closed his eyes with a groan, head hitting his headrest with a thud, and a small smile came onto Emily's lips before she leaned forward, pecking his lips softly. She slid back over to her seat, smoothing herself down as he fidgeted, moving his trousers to relieve some of the strain of the evident bulge there. Emily bit her lip, turning away from him as her blood pulsed. Oh... she wanted him so damn much...

Jack was lying on the sofa when they eventually entered the apartment, a half-eaten plate of dinner on the table, abandoned by the boy. Jessica sat at the kitchen bar, watching him sadly, with a glass of white wine in her hand. Jack's eyes didn't blink, trained on the television as home movies played of a woman he couldn't quite remember, but loved completely.

Emily's heart nearly tore itself apart as she gazed at him, at the blank expression on his face. Hotch squeezed her hand softly, and she looked over her shoulder at him, before he went to talk to Jessica. Emily swallowed the lump in her throat, prodding to the couch and bending down at the arm, so she was kneeling on the floor. His eyes drifted to her while she took off her coat, before he looked back at the screen.

"I miss Mommy," he whispered, and Emily smiled brokenly, reaching out and placing her hand on his heat and stoking his hair. He sniffed and looked at her with sad eyes. "You gotta promise to stay forever, Mommy Emmy," he told her, tone melancholic and Emily tilted her head, a gracious look on her face as she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his forehead, muttering 'I promise'. Jack hummed dryly and his nose twitched, before he pushed himself up into a sitting position.

Emily took it as an invite to sit with him, and pulled herself up with a grunt, flopping down into the small area he had left for her to sit. Almost as soon as she had sat down, he curled into her side, head resting on her bump tiredly. His small arm wrapped around her waist, as they both looked at the television, her fingers playing with the ends of his hair lovingly. Jack licked his lips, lookign up at her silently.

"I love you, Mommy Emmy," he breathed, and Emily beamed at him, leaning forward and rubbing her nose against his before she kissed his forehead. His eyes closed, for a moment, before he looked at her again, eyes doe-like and helpless.

"I love you too, Jack," she replied airily, and he nodded quietly, before lying against her again, staring at the smiling face of Haley on the screen as she played with a baby Jack. Her arms wrapped around him protectively, much like they normally did her baby bump, and she rested her chin on the top of his head, her heart slowing steadily to match the beat of the young boys

Hotch watched them, as Jessica set her wine glass in the sink and text her husband that she was ready to be picked up. The blond's eyes followed his gaze, and despite herself, she smiled gently. Placing a hand on his forearm, she got his attention back to her for a moment. He blinked at her, and she jerked her head to Emily. "Don't treat her the way you treated my sister, Hotch... she's good for you... maybe more so than Haley was. Don't lose her."

"I wasn't planning on it, Jessica," Hotch stated gravelly, and Jessica patted his arm, lips pursing as she put her jacket on, heading towards the door. She gave him a firm warning of 'You better not', keeping her voice low so Emily wouldn't hear, before she left and Hotch locked the door behind her. He looked at his pregnant partner, and their son, his lips pursed and eyebrows heavy. There was no way he was going to mess this up. No way at all.

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed the chapter :) <strong>

**Remember to review with you opinions, general thoughts ect, and who you think the fiancée is (OC... or old character?) **

**Caio for now :P **


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